When All Is Lost, What Remains?
by SMacked Hard
Summary: SMacked story..set after my other story, Ever Ever After. All the characters should be in here. If you lose everything you love, what's there to live for? Sometimes family and friends are all that matter. Complete.
1. Chapter 1

**Rating: M **

**Disclaimer: I do not own CSI: NY or any of the characters. The story and Zeth, Ava and Calista Bonasera are all my work and also Johnny. **

**AN: I'm back earlier than I anticipated. I just wanted to put it out now to see how everyone reacts. It's in Stella's POV, but I might add Mac's in once in a while. Please, review! ****J **

**When All Is Lost, What Remains? **

You don't appreciate some things until they're gone. It leaves you in pain and an ache in your heart that is unbearable.

What if you didn't know they existed? They end up being taken away from you. In a blink of an eye; a beat of your heart and each breath you take, is another minute wasted on your part. You'd try to save them, but you might be too late. You would see them lying there, in the worst way imaginable. You'd tell them you loved them and that you were sorry you were too late. But that's not me.

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I'm Stella Bonasera-Taylor. I'm 35 years old and I'm married to the most incredible guy alive; Mac Taylor. I've learned a lot in my lifetime. I know now that I can't trust many people. I've been backstabbed so many times. I can only trust my close friends and my husband. I've been pushed down, beaten, kicked, underappreciated, used and many other words to that nature.

The biggest one is love. I've loved before and I've lost before. Let me explain…

Frankie Mala

He seemed pretty nice. I guess that was just his mask that concealed the truth behind himself. I met him at an art gala and the attraction started from the moment he said 'Hello'.

Then it turned deadly…fast. I needed a break from him. He needed me too much. Frankie called me 10 times a day asking me how I was and that he was sorry…for what, I don't know. He gave me a really nice sculpture one day. He called it ARESANOB. I looked it up and I was shocked to see what I discovered.

A website…with a sex tape of me and him was streaming there. I couldn't believe my eyes. I was revolted, disgusted, offended and betrayed. Then I saw the real Frankie. I now knew that he was obsessed with me. I had to end it then and there. When you do those kinds of things, it's only normal to tell your partner on what you're planning to do. Even if he did tell me, I wouldn't have participated and I definitely didn't want it on the internet. That's crossing the line for me.

Now, that wasn't the worst of it. I came home one night after shopping. I set my bags by the door and I didn't believe it. Frankie was there in my house! I never invited guys over to my place, just in case nothing bad happened and I could have somewhere to hide and to escape. Now, I had no escape. I was trapped. I had no time to turn back. He grabbed me and tied me up. Now there was nowhere to run or hide. There was no way out.

I escaped and I was going to shoot him. He grabbed it out of my hands and tried to shoot me. I thought my life was over but he certainly didn't know how to shoot a gun. I had the gun in my hands. He was coming at me. It was the moment of truth.

He was going to kill me. I had no other choice but to kill him. It was self-defense. That is the only way I would shoot somebody. Either in self-defense or they were a cold-blooded killer. Before I knew it, 3 bullets flew into his chest and he was dead. I killed him.

I would've never shot someone I loved; at least I thought I loved Frankie. All I feel for him now is hate and anger. The only good thing that happened was that he was out of my life for good; forever. It hurts me to have to think of that night. All it caused me was unwanted pain and suffering for years to come. I really think that's enough of him now. Now, let me explain the brighter days of my life.

Mac Taylor

Oh, what to say about Mac? I loved him from the start. He was with Claire then but I still loved him. He was the first guy I actually trusted. We had a couple of fights but at the end of each day, we made up. When I look back now, I don't think I could live without Mac; it's like I didn't exist without him here. He's been there for me many times and I've been there for him and I will continue to be.

I'm really glad he has stuck around. I've learned a lot from him and he's a wonderful guy. He kept me happy when others couldn't; he still does. Now I'm married to him. Life couldn't be better for me or him; for us. He's the right man for me and I'm the right woman for him.

We took a wonderful vacation to Jamaica. It was the perfect place to just unwind and get away from all the crime and noise in NY for a while but not forever; New York is our home. Mac proposed to me on the beach. I was so shocked but so happy at the same time. My fairytale was coming true. We had an intimate ceremony with our friends; Danny, Lindsay, Flack, Sam, Hawkes, Kendall, Adam and even little Lucy.

But something not so happy or intimate happened; it was more terrifying and heart-stopping at the most. The guy that Lindsay and I saw on the beach, who we called Speedo Man, was standing right in front of me. His blue eyes stared into mine. I wanted to look away but I couldn't. I swear, I must've stopped breathing for a few moments and all of the blood must have drained and left my body. I felt uneasy; scared. He seemed pretty normal but he wasn't. It was like who knew everything about me and Mac. He even knew how Mac followed me to Greece. It all didn't make sense. I had no idea what he wanted.

I was staring into the eyes of a psycho and a stalker. The more I weakened; his bright, devilish smile grew bigger. I was stronger than to break down in front of him. I'm stronger than that. I thought it was over. Now, I know it will never be over. Mac and I were about to leave for the beach one last time before heading home, when we saw something strange. It was a bottle full of sand that said 'Look Inside'. My heart pounded furiously and I was so angry. It looked harmless but I knew it couldn't be and I had a weird feeling to. A feeling that Speedo Man aka Johnny, had something to do with this.

Rage flowed through my veins. I wanted Johnny gone. I wish he would've just disappeared the moment I saw him. I threw the bottle off of the balcony and I ran for my life. When I got to where the bottle smashed or where all the fragments lay, all I saw was sand and a piece of paper. I picked up the piece of paper; it was a letter. It was addressing me and I wasn't shocked to see who it had been written by…Johnny of course.

He was threatening me once again. He told me his name and boy, was I shocked!

Johnny Mala

Well, if he said that from the start, I would've known he was crazy. I also knew he was watching me at my wedding. Johnny told me I have a family. Me…having a family? I never knew I had anyone related to me and now everything just felt real. He wants me to pay! He wants to kill me and who knows what else.

Then, when we got back from Jamaica, we were at Mac's place when we got another letter. I had a feeling it was coming. We went back to the lab and processed the bottle, just in case. 4 prints came off of the bottle; Johnny, I knew that. The other 3 were my parents and sister.

I had a feeling that this letter was going to be more painful than the last one. I was definitely right. Johnny told me I would get what I deserved. How would he know anyway? Unless that bastard Frankie told him everything, so much for privacy, right?

Soon, it was time to read the letter. He said he would take out the next best thing if he couldn't get me; my sister Calista. He also tells me that sacrifices are going to be made

I'm pretty sure he just wants me dead…I'm pretty sure of that. He said he can do whatever he wants to me in exchange of letting my family go.

Now, we're back in the present. Mac and I are heading back to his place now. It was starting to drizzle and now it was a hard pour. The droplets smashed like broken pieces of glass onto my windshield but surprisingly, it was soothing to me. At the stoplight, I rolled down my window and stuck my hand out. The sky was a charcoal gray; it seemed very depressing in New York today. Everyone was running with their umbrellas, even some people without and they were trying to get to their destination. Their clothes were soaking wet as they waited for taxis.

I saw Mac glance at me every few moments. He must be worried sick about me. The clock reads 7:39 PM now. Time keeps ticking and I feel like I'm wasting time but there isn't anything I can do at point. All I can do now is to wait and it sucks.

Mac watched me with watchful, stressful eyes.

"It's going to be fine, Stell," Mac said happily and rubbed my hand. Yes, I can drive one-handed. I clenched his hand tightly and kept my head forward and stared blankly at the stoplight. "They're going to be fine."

"How can you be sure though?" I shot back at him angrily. "He can be throwing their dead bodies into a dumpster for all I know!" I cried out emotionally.

I just wish I could bring every cop that lives in NY to wherever he's keeping my family and arrest him for good but he said I have to come alone…I have a bad feeling about this.

"You don't know that, Stella," Mac reassured me with a smile. I threw a fake smile at him. He noticed that too. "Maybe once we leave the bottle out, he'll give us another clue."

I'm pretty sure Mac didn't see what Johnny wrote to me. I think it's time to tell him.

"Maybe I don't, but…" I paused briefly. I finally made eye contact with him now. "He wants me to come alone."

I reached into my pocket and pulled out the letter and handed it to him.

Mac's face was shocked and angry at the same time. I even think he was snarling under his breath.

"I can't let you do this alone, Stella. He'll kill you!" Mac screamed at me. His tone didn't hurt me much because I was already hurting inside. I'd have to sacrifice myself to this disgusting pig in order to save my family and they're counting on me.

"He said that's what he wanted and that's what he's going to get." I said to Mac as I pulled into his parking spot in front of his apartment.

"Stella, you don't have to give up. I'll get the whole NYPD to catch him!" Mac explained to me angrily. I stopped the car and stared at him.

"I can't believe you would say I'm giving up. I'm being brave and responsible. If I send the whole department after him…god, this guy's frustrating." I yelled and pounded the horn and the people on the street looked at me like I was crazy. Who knows? Maybe I lost half of my brain cells already.

Mac got out of the car and ran over and opened the door for me. He grabbed my hand and pulled me out of the car. We walked into the building and started walking up the 4 flights of stairs. I don't know why we didn't take the elevator.

"Stella, I can't let him hurt you," Mac said to me while he held my hand tightly. "We have time. He isn't going to hurt your family or you even, okay?"

"Okay." is all I said. I really didn't want to talk about it anymore and I really didn't want to get the other letter in a way, because I'm so afraid of what it might say now.

We made it up the flights of stairs and we made it to his apartment. He took out his key and unlocked the door. I was the first in and I kicked off my flip-flops. I never realized how painful they are to wear.

Mac got undressed and changed into a blue tank top and shorts. I just stood their watching him undress. I have to admit, I have a very sexy husband. I walked over to his refrigerator and took out 2 bottles of water. I walked over to him with the bottles in my hands.

"Thank you." he said happily and pulled me in for a kiss. It felt so good when I kissed him. It's like I'm in another world away from all the stress, like in Jamaica. Well, for most of the trip at least.

"You're welcome, darling," I said as I hugged him tightly and spelled his cologne. It smelled like Old Spice. "Mac, do you think we can go back to my place? I want to get a couple of things. I'll probably stay here for a while before I move anything out."

He smiled that incredible smile that made me melt.

"Of course you can. Let's go." Mac said happily and we walked out.

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I had 3 different apartments in the last 5 years. The first apartment where the blackest moment of my life happened was too dark for me to even step in again after the incident. My second apartment was burned in a fire. There was no way I could stay there again. My third apartment has been much better than all my other 2 apartments combined. Mac's apartment is 2 times bigger than mine so I'm pretty sure I'm going to move in with him.

I walked over to my dresser and pulled out the 2 best pairs of pants and shorts I owned and threw them into a bag. I went to turn around and leave when Mac grabbed my face and pulled me into a kiss. I kissed him for a minute until I needed a breath.

"Whoa, what was that about?" I asked him patiently and sat down on my bed.

"I just wanted to kiss you." he replied to me and sat next to me.

"I was thinking, that maybe I can move out soon and move in with you. Your apartment is bigger for the both of us anyway." I said to him and rubbed his thigh.

"Yeah, whenever we have free time, we can move you out." Mac said with a smile.

"Thanks baby. So, where were we?" I asked him and I knew where it was going to go so I slipped off my shirt and shorts. It felt good to get them off. Mac removed his shirt and shorts as well. Soon we were passionately having sex and it was about 30 minutes later when it slowed down.

"Oh, Stell, that was great." Mac said while trying to catch his breath.

I rolled over and grinned at him.

"Oh, you were better than me. You are a beast." I said to him with a laugh.

"Thank you, but I think we should get going now. It's getting late." Mac said to me sadly and he got up and get dressed. I did the same and soon we were off to his place again and then it was time to do what I've been dreading all night. I had to put the bottle outside the door and wait for Johnny to respond.


	2. Chapter 2

AN: Thanks for the reviews. Here's the next chapter. I hope I get more this time. And if you never seen Moulin Rouge or want to, I say what happens at the end so…spoiler alert!

Bad Dreams

**We were heading back to Mac's place once again. Mac was driving this time. The rain stopped now and I caught a glimpse of the sun. It made me smile. It was now humid and felt a drop of sweat run down my face. **

**I had to admit I was nervous now. What could Johnny say next? Maybe he wouldn't say anything. What if something happened to them? This wait is killing me. I slouched down in the seat and folded my arms over my stomach; with clenched fists. **

**Mac could tell I was tense so he let me sit for a while. I didn't want to talk to him because I might take my anger out on him again or even hurt his feelings. I definitely couldn't do that. Soon my fists relaxed and I closed my eyes for a bit. Before I knew it, I was dreaming but I was having a nightmare. **

_**I was running for my life, I could hear thunder in the distance but it wouldn't faze me now. The rain beat down on me furiously; my clothes stuck to my body uncomfortably. I couldn't stop screaming; tears kept coming and coming. I know I was running faster than lightning but why wasn't I moving? I saw them; my family and I saw him; the bastard that's causing this all. Why couldn't I run faster? He was holding a gun now. I pushed and pushed myself but I didn't move. I had to save them. I had to but I was too late. Boom, Boom, Boom! **__I heard 3 bullets go off. At that moment, it felt like they entered my heart instead; I wish they did. He killed them. I dropped to me knees and curled into a ball. I looked up and saw him; his devilish smile looked down at me. He held the gun toward my head and I closed my eyes. I was going to die. _

I was screaming and tears were running down my face again but I was awake this time. We were in front of Mac's apartment and he was at my side; shaking me.

"Stella, wake up!" Mac said disturbingly. He pulled me close once he noticed I was awake and I grabbed onto him tightly and I didn't let go. He locked the car doors and he carried me to the elevator while I kept my face on his shoulder and wiped my tears away. We were in the elevator now when he set me on my feet and I was still clinging to him.

"Oh, Mac, it was terrible." I said sadly with a vivid picture of the dream in my head. I was never going to forget it. "He killed them. Johnny, he killed my family. And…he killed me too."

He rubbed my back and kissed my forehead.

"Stell, it was just a dream. Nothing happened to them. It's just a dream." Mac said calmly and kept rubbing my back. It was soothing to me.

"It wasn't a dream, Mac. It was a nightmare. I was running and running and I didn't move an inch. I was 5 feet away and I didn't move," I said angrily and looked up at him. "I surely hope I don't have to experience that."

"It's going to be fine. We're going to catch him. He won't do any of that to your family." Mac said reassuringly while he played with my curls.

At this point, Johnny doesn't seem that threatening and he doesn't look like a killer. I got to say though that he scares me. He really does. He is like a mini-Frankie and that really tips me off. Frankie had a sense of humor and so did Johnny. He looks like Frankie, but he's a little taller…he stands about 6 feet tall, Frankie was 5'8. Maybe he likes me or he's in love with me. I doubt it but he seems to obsess over me. I'm not interested in him that's for sure. The only guy I'm interested in is the guy I'm holding onto right now; my husband.

We were at Mac's room now and I was ready to get this over with. I turned on the light switch and grabbed the bottle from the table and I set it outside the door. I looked down the halls to see if anyone was there; there wasn't one person.

"Come out and play, Johnny!" I yelled triumphantly and closed the door.

Well, the easy part was over for now. I have to wait now and I don't like that. I'm sure you already knew that.

I took out the bag with my clothes and I picked out my outfit to sleep in. It was hot out now and I was wearing a tank top. Mac was just wearing his boxers. We were sitting on the couch holding hands. It felt good just to relax and not have to think about a lot. Tomorrow we would have to go back to the lab again and work on more cases while this thing with Johnny developed. Maybe he wouldn't even write back this time.

Just in case you didn't know, here's what I wrote.

_Hello, Johnny. This is Stella Bonasera-Taylor. I never seen criminals write letters to the police before, this is really a new one. I can't say I'm thrilled to get them. I would've just ignored this but you involved my family and I know you would use that against me. I just learned that I had a mother last year and that she died. I was mistaken. I'm not sure if I could say yes to your deal just yet. I don't know what 'whatever I want' means. Well, I could think of what it means…sex or death or both? Hmm, I don't think I can say yes to any of them. If you lay any hand on my family or a finger, I will shoot you to hell. Even if I don't, you will be in jail for a long time. They don't take kidnapping or harassment well in this city and they surely won't make an exception for you. Now, it's time for you to write me back. _

_Stella_

It was easily written and not that complicated but it got the point across.

"Mac, I was thinking that we should watch a movie or something." I said happily while I laid my head on his thigh as he rubbed my back.

"Sure, what do you want to watch?" Mac said with a smile.

"I'm not sure if you'd like it but it's about love." I said with a smile.

"I'm listening…" He said with a grin.

"Well, its a couple years old but I never saw it before. It's Moulin Rouge.", I said happily and sat up.

"Oh, I've heard of it before. Nicole Kidman's in that, right?" Mac asked me and me nodded back at him.

"And Ewan McGregor too. Do you have any popcorn?" I asked politely and waited for an answer.

"Oh, yeah, in the bottom left cupboard. I guess one bag should be enough for now." Mac said as I got the popcorn out and set the time on the microwave. I ran over and found Moulin Rouge and put it in the DVD player. I grabbed the popcorn and poured it into a bowl. Soon, it was time to watch the movie.

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I was in tears and I saw Mac was tearing up too. Satine was dying and Christian was holding her in his arms. I started sobbing and I grabbed onto Mac and he held me close.

"Oh, Mac, I can never lose you. Please, don't leave me.", I said while crying my eyes out.

"You don't have to worry, Stell. I'm never going to leave you." Mac said happily and kissed my lips. Soon the credits were going across the screen and we turned off the T.V.

We were heading toward the bedroom now and I was wiping the rest of my tears away.

"I'm sorry that I had to subject you to that Mac. That was really sad." I said with a pout.

"No, it was a great movie, aside from the sad ending. Love is the most powerful thing in the world and it beats everything else." Mac said happily and we went under the covers.

"Yeah, that's true. Well, good night darling." I said happily and we kissed on the lips.

"Good night love." Mac said and fell asleep.

_I got them out in time without Johnny noticing. He wanted me anyway. I heard sirens in the distance and I knew I was in trouble. Johnny glared furiously at me and he held the gun toward me. I threw my arms in the air and I begged for mercy, but I wouldn't be getting any mercy anytime soon; never. __**Boom! **__He shot me in the heart and I fell down. I saw the cops arresting him and I smiled, but I heard someone scream; someone that I loved. Mac was running toward me. He got to me and held me in his arms. He saw all the blood and he started crying. _

"_Please, don't leave me, Stella." he said while sobbing. _

"_Mac, I can't stay…I'm not going to make it. Tell my family I love them and take good care of them. And just make sure that that bastard never gets out of jail." I said with my last breath and I laid lifeless in Mac's arms while he cried over me. I was never coming back. _

"Stella! Wake up!" Mac screamed at me.

I shot up and looked at him.

"Oh my god, it was just a dream." I said while wiping the sweat from my forehead.

"Yeah, it was and you gave me a heart attack too. Do you want to talk about it?" Mac asked and rubbed my shoulder.

"No, I want to go to bed now." I said with another vivid picture still in my mind.

"Okay, we can talk about it later." Mac said and fell asleep. I didn't though; I pretended to sleep the whole night just for Mac's sake. I didn't want to get another dream.


	3. Chapter 3

**AN: Thanks for the reviews. Here's the 3rd**** chapter. If you have any suggestions, if I could improve anywhere or anything, let me know. ****J **

**Chapter 3**

I saw Mac wake up and I turned to my side and closed my eyes. He wrapped his arms around me and rolled over. We kissed on the lips and smiled at each other. I couldn't get that dream out of my head and I had a feeling Mac would bring it up soon. I really didn't want to talk about it. These nightmares are stressing me out. I have to make an excuse and keep his mind off of that subject.

"Baby, I'm going to make some coffee, okay?" I asked politely and sat up.

"Okay, you know how I like mine," Mac said with a wink "Thank you."

I nodded and smiled back at him as I walked out.

"You're welcome, darling." I said with a sigh.

Then it occurred to me. I set the bottle out last night. Of course, that's another thing for me to think about and most importantly get stressed out about. What if my nightmare came true? Would my family be slaughtered in front of my eyes and I'd be killed after them? Would they get away but would Johnny leave my lifeless body in Mac's trembling arms? What if they were paired together? I sometimes wish I couldn't dream. This was one of those moments. One of the other moments was when the 'Frankie' incident kept playing over and over again in my mind. It was the same each time. He'd try to shoot me and I'd shoot him. I sometimes wish I never met him. He's still causing me pain and now I keep thinking about him.

I started to make the coffee. I switched on the news to see what was going on in New York. The usual was happening. It was going to be around 90 degrees. That was another thing to get me down. At least the crime lab has air-conditioning. I got undressed in the living room. I put on a red shirt and my best black pants. I saw Mac walk out of the room. I heard the shower turn on. I think now was the time to check for the letter.

I opened the door slowly. I peaked around the corner. No one was around. I closed my eyes and looked down. I was praying that I wouldn't see a bottle. I opened my eyes. My mouth dropped and my eyes grew wide. There wasn't a bottle. I couldn't believe my eyes. He must've taken it and maybe he didn't send it back yet. I just hope not receiving the bottle again meant that I was too late.

I went over to the coffee and got out 2 mugs and poured in the coffee. I put milk in Mac's and just sugar in mine. I felt arms around my waist and I turned around and saw Mac. We smiled at each other and we kissed for a minute. I handed him his coffee.

"Thank you," he said politely. "It's your turn to take a shower."

I laughed and said, "Alright, I'll be out in a few."

I got undressed again and set my clothes on the sink. Soon, I stepped in the shower. I cleaned my hair and shaved. This warm water wasn't helping me though. I turned the dial to cold. The water hit me like ice shards but I didn't care. This felt kind of relaxing. I just stood against the wall while the cold water hit me; goose bumps were everywhere. Mac was pounding on the door now. I actually fell asleep but I didn't have a nightmare. That was fantastic. Before I could say a word, Mac barged in. He ripped open the curtain and saw me naked. He smiled and sighed at the same time.

"Thank god you're okay. I thought you slipped and hit your head," Mac said and reached for the dial so he could turn it off. "Why are you showering in cold water?"

I stepped out of the shower and dried off with a towel.

"I'm sorry that I scared you. I'm perfectly fine." I said with a smile. "The cold water is relaxing to me. You know I've been under a great deal of stress."

Mac nodded his head, "Yes I do know that you're under stress, so am I. You shouldn't be in cold water. You're going to get sick."

"I'm sorry, I won't do it again." I said with a wink. I probably would do it again, just not for that long anyway.

"Good, now we're going to be late for work. I put some coffee in a mug for you and for myself as well." Mac said with a smile and kissed my cheek.

"Thank you. I'll be out in a minute." I said while I was slipping my clothes on. I brushed my teeth and gargled with mouth wash. My stomach growled and I was really hungry so I ran out into the kitchen to see what Mac had. He had Special K bars. What the hell? I took out a bar and put it in my purse. I smiled at Mac as we left now. We were on our way to the lab now. Everything felt better now, even though nothing was better yet.

"_Mac, why do you have Special K bars?" I asked while taking a bite out of the bar. _

"_I know what you're thinking. Mostly women eat them but they are really good." Mac said with a smile. _

_I laughed at him and finished the bar. We pulled into the garage and we walked up to the lab while holding hands. I went into Mac's office this time and I set my purse in his drawer. We both heard our cell phones ringing so we picked them up. We were assigned to the same crime scene. Danny, Lindsay, Flack and Hawkes were already there. We smiled and walked out again. _

_The crime scene was in an alley. This seemed like it was a normal case. I saw a woman lying on the ground. My eyes grew wide when I realized who it was. Marlee Turner, the girl at our wedding, was lying there dead. She liked Hawkes too. I had a strange feeling that Johnny had something to do with this. Hawkes was leaning against the wall with his head down. Danny, Lindsay and Flack had a glare on their face and they were all looking at me. Oh no. Hawkes walked over to me with a saddened face._

"_Oh, Stella, why did it have to be her?" Hawkes said with a tear rolling down his cheek._

"_I'm just as sad as you are Hawkes…I really am," I sad with a frown. "Who would do this?"_

_I soon saw Danny stamp up to me. He pointed a finger at me and I almost fell backward. _

"_Oh, you know who did this. It's that Johnny person. Who else would know her? She's not even from around here?" Danny screamed at me. _

"_You don't know that, Danny," Flack said while he walked up behind him. "I have a funny feeling it has something to do with Johnny, or even Stella." _

_Even Lindsay and Hawkes, who I thought were on my side, were yelling at me now. I had to get out of there. I threw my kit on the ground and I bolted down the street and I didn't look back. _

"Stella. We're here now. Don't tell me you've fallen asleep again. I thought you fell asleep last night." Mac said with a concerned look. I opened my eyes and saw the unopened Special K bar in my purse. We were in the garage now.

"Oh my god, Mac, it was terrible. Do you remember, Marlee? She was the girl that danced with Hawkes at our wedding." I asked him and got out the bar and started munching on it.

"Yeah, how could I forget her? She was really nice," Mac said with a smile. "Why do you ask?"

Here comes the hard part. I took a drink of my coffee and looked at Mac.

"Well, I had a dream and she was murdered." I said quickly and looked the other way.

"Oh, well, I'm sure it meant nothing." Mac told me and I heard his cell phone go off. Then mine went off.

"Well, it looks like we're assigned to the same case." Mac said with a smile. I had a weird feeling in my gut.

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We were walking down the street toward the crime scene. I saw Danny, Lindsay, Flack and Hawkes standing by their cars. Something was wrong. Did my dream come true? Did I see the future?

"What's wrong you guys. You seem sad." I said as I looked at everybody's hunched figures.

"Why don't you check for yourself?" Hawkes said with a frown.

I walked toward the alley while Mac followed. I dropped my kit on the ground and I covered my eyes.

"No! How did this happen? No!" I screamed loudly and Mac rubbed my shoulders.

"It's going to be fine." Mac said with a smile. I thought I was going to be sick.

"Are you kidding me, Mac? That's Marlee!" I screamed at him and stormed out of the alley and ran out by the others. I saw him standing there and he looked more closely. He shook his head and walked out of the alley.

"I can't believe this. I had a dream this morning that she was murdered." I told everyone and their jaws dropped. Mac stood next to me and listened to me.

"You're telling me that you had a dream where she was murdered?" Danny asked me with a weird look on his face. He was holding Lindsay by the waist. They are so adorable together but enough of that. So, here's the rest of my story.

"Yeah, it was in an alley and all you guys were mad at me.", I said with a frown.

"She's not even from New York. She came to see me.", Hawkes said with a tear leaving his eye.

"Well, we're going to get the person who did this and that's a fact," Lindsay said and walked into the alley. "Come on, we're wasting time here."

On that note, we all headed into the alley to process the crime scene. Marlee was stabbed right in the heart. I'm pretty sure that was the cause of death but I couldn't be sure. I still have a feeling Johnny had something to do with this, but would he kill someone just to get my attention?

-----------

Before I knew it we were back at the lab. Mac, Flack and I were heading toward the morgue. Mac and Flack were chatting behind me but I just kept silent and kept my eyes ahead. We walked into the morgue and Sid greeted us with a smile.

"Good morning. How's your day going?" Sid said to all of us, but it looks like he was mostly directing it to me.

"I'm good." was all I said, when in reality I was in a crappy mood. I didn't want to get anyone else down.

"Fine", both Mac and Flack said and walked closer to the body.

I wanted to cry then and there. I couldn't believe this at all.

"So, do we have a C.O.D?" Flack asked calmly.

"Hmm, well, it looked kind of obvious but the stab wound to the heart was the cause of death. It turns out though that she had a couple days to live. She had cancer," Sid said with a frown. "Maybe someone knew about her illness and wanted to put her out of her misery."

"She didn't look miserable at all. She was in a band and she danced too." Mac said with a smile. I smiled back at him. Flack nodded his head.

"How about the time of death?" Flack asked with a smile.

"Well, I'd say about 12 hours ago so; midnight roughly give or take an hour." Sid said with a frown.

"Well, I found something in her pocket. It was a bottle full of sand." Sid said out loud. That's one thing I didn't want to here today.

"No, not again. Here, give it to me." I told Sid rudely and he handed me the bottle.

"Is that the bottle of sand you told me about?" Sid asked and I nodded.

"I wrote back to it. Now, I got a reply." I said with a frown.

"Everything will be fine. I promise." Sid said with a smile.

"Thanks, Sid. We'll see you later." I said as we all walked out of the morgue with that madly terrifying bottle in my hand.

--------


	4. Chapter 4

**AN: Thanks for the reviews. Here's Chapter 4!**

**Unexpected**

I was thinking about too much now. Would Johnny really kill just to get my attention? Was I doing something wrong? I'm sure I did everything correctly. I wrote back to his 2nd letter. I really don't know what else I should've done. I know I'm not going to run around New York like a crazy person just to try and find my family. New York is a big city. They could be on the other side of the state or down the street, but their whereabouts, I wasn't even sure yet. In my dream, it looked like a garage to me. That would be too obvious though. Besides, my dream could be wrong. It sort of was this morning. No one turned on me and yelled at me. But why would I even have a dream with anyone being murdered in it, especially a girl like Marlee?

My palm was now sweaty from holding the bottle in my hand. I knew what was inside; a letter of course, unless he switched it up. Mac, Flack and I were in the break room. I seen Adam walk in and he smiled at us. We all smiled back. I saw him grab an apple out of the fridge and he grabbed a chair near us.

"Did he write you back?" Adam asked calmly; his eyes were cautiously looking at my hand that was clenched down on the bottle. "Whoa, Stella, don't break it with your hands. It might get messy if you do that."

I laughed, "Thank you for your concern, Adam. I appreciate it," I said and Adam smiled back at me. "I'm just worried that Johnny had to with Marlee's death."

Adam's face grew shocked.

"Marlee…you mean the girl that was at your wedding…she's dead?" Adam asked with a confused tone. He set his apple down on the table and closed his eyes.

"She was found dead this morning in an alleyway. This bottle was in her pocket." Flack said while pointing to the bottle which I now set on the table. I rubbed the sweat off on my pants.

"Oh. That's terrible. She was such a cool chick," Adam said while shaking his head. "You sure Johnny had something to do with it?"

I grabbed 4 waters out of the fridge and handed them to everyone with a smile. Everyone thanked me and I started to explain.

"Well, I'm not sure but why would there be the exact same kind a bottle that I've been receiving that reads 'Look Inside', be in Marlee's pocket. Don't forget she was at our wedding as well and Johnny saw the wedding too, which could mean that he saw Marlee." I explained and took a big breath and gulped a quarter of the water down.

"I think it's time that you open the bottle now, Stell. We have to see what it says." Mac said while rubbing my left hand.

"Okay, if you say so," I said as I grabbed an opener. I opened it up, dumped the sand on the paper and pulled out the letter. "And if you guys don't mind, I'm going to read it first, by myself."

All the guys nodded and I opened up the piece of paper. It was from Johnny. That was what I expected; the letter from Johnny, but the rest of the letter, not so much.

_Dear Stella, _

Hey, it's Johnny Mala. Did you miss me? Of course you did. Your family is fine, just in case you were wondering. They've been begging me to let them go; especially your parents. I don't plan on letting them go just yet, maybe not ever. That is if you find me. Maybe your mind is giving you signs. Bad dreams can come true, you know? I saw Marlee behind the crime scene tape today. What a shame? And she had so much to offer to the world; not really. She was hiding secrets from your whole team but most importantly; you Stella. Yes, she knew about me. She was my insider. That's how I knew everything. Well, not all of it. Early in the morning I got a phone call from her and she said she couldn't do this anymore. She wasn't going to keep the secrets. I obviously couldn't let her tell you so I killed her. Marlee also knew where I was keeping your parents and I definitely didn't want her to tell you that. I was going to drop off the bottle outside the door this morning but I thought by leaving it in her pocket, I'd get you stressed. Indeed I did, didn't I?

What I've noticed is that your sister, Calista, has a very big mouth. She never shuts up! She blabs on all day long about how gorgeous Robert Pattinson is. Uh, he played a vampire, what's so great about that? Then she makes fun of my favorite show, The Hills. She said that she and Joel McHale (the guy from The Soup) agree that Spencer has a creepy, flesh-colored beard. Wow, is all I can say. She even mentioned that she may want to become a CSI. Well, I guess it runs in the family, right?

I'm getting really bored waiting here, Stella. Just listen to yourself and you'll know where to find me. Oh, I'm kind of getting sick to my stomach of writing letters, even though I have great handwriting. I think we should take this to the internet. I have AIM here's my name; JohnnyRox197. So, if you ever want to talk, I'll be waiting.

Johnny

This sent chills down my spine. He knows how to write one heck of a creepy letter that's for sure. I guess we're now taking our chats to the internet, so there's no need to reply to it. I didn't say a word. I just passed the letter across the table so Adam, Danny and Mac could read it. I stood up from the table and I ran out of the lab. I saw their shocked faces. I only knew 2 computers in the whole lab that had AIM installed. I had to go on my computer or Mac's computer. It's kind of funny because we used to chat during our breaks about what was going on in our lives. I looked forward to our chats every day. I ran into Mac's office and sat behind his computer. It was password protected. It's a 6 letter word. Oh for crying out loud. I typed in Stella and I got access to his computer. I soon saw Mac running toward me now with the letter. He looked really mad. He caught to me and tried to catch his breath.

"Stell, what are you doing?" Mac said slowly and pulled up a chair beside me.

"What do you think I'm doing? I'm going onto AIM and I'm going to give him a piece of my mind." I said with force and typed in my screen name. I soon started to search for JohnnyRox197. I kind of didn't want to talk to him but at the same time, I wanted answers.

"Stell, just be careful. You don't know what tricks he has up his sleeve." Mac said and scooted closer next to me and he put his hand on my thigh. It was really comforting. While it was searching, I grabbed his hand and squeezed it tightly. I pulled him in for a kiss and I heard a ding sound that meant the search was over. That's when our kiss ended.

This was it. This was my chance to set everything straight and get some answers. Here I go.

**StellaRules28: Hello? **

_**JohnnyRox197: Hey. **_

**StellaRules28: So, I got your letter. That was very creepy. **

_**JohnnyRox197: Ha, thank you very much. Did I mention I went to college for writing?**_

**StellaRules28: No, actually you didn't. All you really did was torture me from the inside out. **

It was going to get intense now I could feel it inside. My kept his hand on my thigh and rubbed back and forth to comfort me. It wasn't helping. Maybe I shouldn't have talked to him after all. I might have got stuck in something I couldn't get out of now and it was my entire fault.

_**It's not like I want to torture you, I'm doing that so you would listen to me. I know how you cops are. **_

**Oh really? How do you know? Maybe because you stalked me for weeks on end? **

_**Yes! How did you guess?! **_

**Cut the shit, Johnny. Why are you doing this to me? **

_**I thought you already knew. Well, I want you to pay for Frankie's death…**_

Before he could finish, I cut him off.

**I think I paid for a lot. Did you see all the bruises and scratches that he put on me? I had to cut my way out of rope with a razor in the bath tub. I guy that loves you doesn't do that to you. You have NO idea what happened that night! **

_**Whoa, Stella, take an easy. Don't lose yourself now. Frankie told me that you'd been ignoring him.**_

**Well, you know about the sex tape. He had no right to put that on the internet. I didn't even know about it. **

_**I did. **_

**You are one sick kid, you know that? **

_**I'm perfectly fine. What about you?**_

**What are you talking about? **

_**Oh, you'll find out sooner or later. I promise. I didn't do that this time. Someone else did. **_

**Tell me what you're talking about now. **

_**I'm sorry I can't do that. **_

**Where are you Johnny? I can't find you unless you tell me where you are. **

_**You'll find out soon enough. Like I said, dreams can come true you know, maybe even nightmares.**_

**Do you know about my dreams or something? **

_**Why, of course not, why would I know? **_

'**Cause it seems like you think I'm having bad dreams.**

_**I saw you dreaming this morning. I saw Mac shaking you. Don't tell me you were having a pleasant dream. **_

**No, of course I wasn't. I had a dream where Marlee was dead. Then a crime scene where she was actually dead. **

_**Ha. I'm sure she was dead before you had your dream. I can promise you that. **_

**Why did you kill her? She was such a nice person. **

_**She was going to spill all the secrets you know that. **_

**Well, now you already confessed about murdering her so you have one charge against you. I wouldn't want anymore if I were you. It's already 15 years to life now. **

_**I'm not going to stop unless I get what I want and that's you, Stella. You have a week to find me if not…it's not going to be pretty. **_

**If you lay one hand on them…**

He cut me off this time.

_**I promise I won't hurt them. All I want is you. Okay, today is Sunday, May 17**__**th**__** so…you have until May 24**__**th**__** to find me. And if you don't come alone, I will hurt them and you of course! **_

Before I could reply, he logged off. The last message got to me and I started to cry.

"Everything's going to be alright, Stella." Mac said once again.

"Mac, you know it's not going to be alright. He wants me to pay, Mac. He wants me to die." I said with a frown while I hugged him tightly.

"You're not going to die. You will win this fight and get your family out alive. That's my promise." Mac said that and I smiled.

"Okay. I think it's time to head home now. Maybe we should start packing some of my things so I can move in soon." I said with a smile and Mac nodded.

I grabbed my purse and we walked out hand in hand.

Danny and Lindsay overheard our conversation and they offered to help us. I love them so much. They are the best friends we could ever have. This was great. I didn't want to think about Johnny so I had something to take my mind off this subject.


	5. Chapter 5

**AN: Thanks for the reviews. Here's Ch. 5. **

**I Love My Friends**

We were driving toward my apartment. I tried to keep a smile on my face, for what, I really don't know. Mac knows my fake smiles from my real smiles. Well, I was happy. I couldn't deny it. I was really looking forward to moving in with Mac. So, I'm really excited that we're moving some of my things out today. Even Danny and Lindsay were going to help us. I couldn't be more thrilled.

I kind of wish though that I didn't talk to Johnny. It just made everything more difficult. Now I have a time slot in which to find him. Everything was about to get rocky now. I definitely have to go alone now and I hope Mac understands now. I really don't care what happens to me anymore. I want my family out safe and unharmed. I can't imagine what might happen to me. When I find him, I may never see Mac or my friends again. Maybe up in the sky I will, but other than that. I may never see them again.

Curse his parents for bringing him into existence and Frankie as well. If there was no Frankie then I wouldn't be dealing with Johnny either. I have a feeling now that Johnny is going to me more hurtful than Frankie. Even though Frankie caused me pain, Johnny is making me choose between my family and my other family. It's so hard to do. I'm sure they could live without me. I have to make sure no one gets hurt except me; I probably will get hurt no matter what.

I had until May 24th to find him. It seemed impossible to find him. New York is a very big city. I'm not a quitter either. I was going to fight and fight until my goal was within my reach. Now matter how much my heart ached and my head pounded, I had to keep pushing on; for the sakes of my real family and my other family.

I really didn't want to waste anymore time. The more time I waste, the farther away I am from getting that bastard named Johnny. I hope I could move most of my things in today. We had 3 cars so we can move quite a lot; well at least the small things. I don't know if I'd like to drive by myself though. Johnny could be close by or unless he hired another insider. I really hope that wouldn't happen. It's like he really wants to go to jail. He killed a woman already, threatened me numerous of times and even Mac, and kidnapped my family and is holding them hostage. So he has a lot of charges against him and I think he wants that. He has a lot coming to him and he'll see soon.

It was 4 o'clock. The day was half over now. I could see hints of pink and purple by the sun. It was magnificent. It's very good that it doesn't get dark until 8. Before I knew it, Mac was talking to me.

"You forgot to tell me what your dream this morning was about." Mac said with a warm smile that made me melt inside.

"I'll tell you later, Mac. I don't want to think about it now." I said with a wink.

"I'm sorry, I should've waited for you to tell me about it.", Mac said with a frown and turned down my street.

"Don't be sorry, Mac. You're just being the great, loving and comforting husband that you are. I have to thank you for that." I said to him with a smile and gave him a kiss.

"Okay. Linds and Danny should be here in a couple of minutes with some boxes. They said they would bring more help." Mac said while closing the door. I looked at him shocked.

"You mean they're getting more people to help?" I said with a smile. It would be so great if we had more people to help us.

"Yeah, I guess that's what they meant." Mac said while holding the door open to the apartment for me. We walked up to my room and walked in. My apartment was trashed. I should've cleaned up before they got here.

"Look at this place. It's a mess." I said with a frown and picked up all of my clothes that I threw on the floor before we went to Jamaica. That seemed like a long time ago.

"Here, I'll take those. We still have time. I'll get a few bags and we can put your clothes in here." Mac said while grabbing a trash bag from under the sink.

It was so funny how much clothes I had stuffed in my dresser. Mac held the bag open while I threw my clothes in. I surprisingly filled up 3 bags of clothes; even when we pressed them down for extra room. Wow. I do too much shopping in my spare time. Well, at least I used to. Maybe Lindsay would like some of my clothes that don't fit. We threw the bags in the corner and I saw Mac walk over toward where all my pictures were while I unhooked my computer.

"What are you looking at, Mac?" I asked curiously while I tried to get all the wires unhooked.

"Oh, I was just checking out your pictures. You looked so great back then. You look even more beautiful now." I saw Mac say with a smile.

"Thank you, Mac. I could say the same about you." I said while packing the computer into the spare box I had in the closet.

"Look at us, Stell. We looked so young and so inexperienced." Mac said while holding a picture up. I walked over to see what picture he was holding. I had a guess about which one it was and I was right.

It was a picture a woman took of us when we first started working at the Crime Lab. I think Mac was there 3 years before I joined. We were all smiles. We looked like best friends. We practically were back then. We did hit a few bumps though. When Claire died, Mac became more and more distant and stayed away from me. It was a hard time on him. I tried to comfort him as much as I could.

"Oh, you weren't inexperienced. I was the inexperienced one. Do you remember my first day in the lab?" I asked with a smile.

"Yes, I do. You were so nervous but you were so great as well." Mac said with his hand around my waist.

"We've definitely been through a lot over these past 11 years." I said while reminiscing the past. Both of our pasts were both happy and painful. We would never forget.

"Yes, we have. A lot of things have changed. All but one thing has changed over these years." Mac said while looking down at me.

"What's that, Mac?" I said even though I kind of knew the answer again. I'm such a smarty.

"We've always been there for each other and we always will." Mac said with a smile and pulled me close.

"Aww, Mac. I love you." I said while rubbing his back.

"I love you too, Stella." Mac said lovingly and set the picture in the box.

Mac was helping me with the rest of the computer when we heard a knock on the door.

"Come in.", I semi-yelled because we were across the room.

"Stella?" I heard Lindsay say.

"Yeah, we're over here." I said while turning to look at the door.

Lindsay, Danny, Flack, Sam, Adam, Kendall and Hawkes walked through the door with 3 boxes in their hands.

"Wow. All of you guys didn't need to come. I'm sure you had better things to do." I said with a big smile.

"Well, not really. And we would help you anytime, Stella." Kendall said with a smile.

"Did you all come in one car?" Mac asked curiously.

"Yes, Sam, Adam, Kendall and Hawkes took a ride in my car.", Flack said with a smile.

I stood up and walked over to the corner.

"I guess when we get more things packed up; you can take my clothes, my many photo albums and my computer." I said with a grin.

Their faces said it all when they saw 3 bags of clothes.

I laughed, "Yeah, there's that much clothes. You'd look great in some of it, Danny." I said as a joke.

"Ha. Ha. Ha. That's very funny, Stella." Danny said with a smile.

"You know I was kidding, Danny." I said with a laugh.

"I know, Stella. I love your humor." Danny said while setting the boxes down.

"Me too," I said and pointed at the fridge. "There are bottles of water in the fridge if anyone is thirsty, grab a bottle. I have to clean out my fridge too."

"Thank you." everyone muttered and grabbed a bottle and took a sip.

"You're welcome." I told everyone and soon we starting backing up my things.

-----------

It was about 2 hours later when most of my things were in boxes and it was time to take them back to Mac's apartment. I carried out my hair supplies and put them by my clothes.

"Thank you all so much for helping me. I really appreciate it.", I said and went and hugged everyone.

"It was really no problem, Stella." Sam said with a grin.

"We'd do anything for you, Stella." Hawkes said while taking a drink of water.

We all pitched in and carried the boxes to the cars. Thank god for the elevator. Mac and Flack went in one car. Danny and Hawkes drove together. Sam, Kendall and Adam drove in the other car. Lindsay and I decided to stay back. Danny, Lindsay, Mac, Flack, Sam and I decided that we would go have dinner after this. Everyone else was busy working.

Lindsay and I were dressed in our dresses for later tonight already and we were sitting on the couch. I really needed a girl to talk to and I finally got a chance. Seeming that Lindsay is my best friend, she was the main person to tell. I was going to tell her about everything.

"Lindsay, I'm really scared." I said while breaking down.

I always stayed strong around Mac; most of the time anyway. I didn't want to feel weak in front of him. I could feel weak in front of Linds because she knew and understood what was going on.

"What's going on, Stell?" Lindsay asked while rubbing my hand.

"I really don't know. Johnny wants me to pay for Frankie's death. I don't even know if I'll make it out alive. I have to choose between family and family. You guys would always be my second family. I really have to save my family. I really don't care what happens to me.", I said with a frown.

"Stell, I know you can make it out alive. You are a very strong woman." Lindsay said with a smile.

"I've been having very weird dreams. In one dream he slaughtered my family and me too. Now the 2nd dream was the worst." I paused because this dream caused me the most pain.

"It's okay. Take your time." Lindsay said with a comforting smile.

"We watched Moulin Rouge last night. It was a really great movie." that's all I said for now.

"I saw the movie too. I made Danny watch it. He thought it was too gushy for him." Lindsay said with a laugh.

I laughed, "Well, you know the ending wasn't good. I had a dream where I got my family out." I paused and took my time. "He told me to come alone and I did. We heard sirens and he thought I was tricking him so he shot me. It wasn't good. The cops ran in and got him. Then I saw Mac running toward me. He held me close and cried over me. I wasn't going to make it. And the dream ended."

I saw Lindsay wipe her eyes.

"Wow. That's a really bad dream." Lindsay said with a frown.

"Then I dreamed Marlee murdered then she was. I'm just afraid that these dreams might come true. Either my family gets out or they don't. I'm always killed though. I just wish I couldn't dream." I said while wiping my tears away.

"It's normal to dream but it doesn't mean they will come true, Stella," Lindsay said with a frown. "I wanted to stop my dreams too when all this crap with Katums came up. That caused me pain as well, a lot of pain indeed."

"I know. I just want this to be over. I have until May 24th. It's only a week to find him, Linds." I said while shaking my head.

"You can do this, Stella. I know you can.", Lindsay said with a smile. I smiled back at her.

We heard Danny and Mac so we got up and we headed to the restaurant. Soon, I would have to explain the dream to Mac and it would probably be the hardest thing I've ever done.


	6. Chapter 6

**AN: Thanks for the reviews. Here's the chapter 6. Where are all of my followers from Ever Ever After? **

**A Night Out With Friends**

We were heading to an Italian restaurant named 'Kristy's Italian Restaurant.' Lindsay told me they had great food for a good price so I picked it for our dinner tonight. Mac drove one-handed and held my hand the whole way there. I could only imagine what conditions my family was in. Maybe they were starving to death. They were probably even tied up in a dark, cold room somewhere. It made me hurt inside just to think about what they are going through right now.

It felt good to be able to talk to Lindsay. I could actually let all of my feeling out and I didn't have to hide anything. It was different when I discussed this kind of stuff with Mac. I was honest with him always but for some reason I didn't feel comfortable sharing. I also didn't want to feel weak in front of him. I haven't felt this vulnerable for ages. Ever since…Frankie. For some stupid reason, it keeps on coming back to him. Just to make things clear, **I LOATHE YOU, FRANKIE!! **

**If I wasn't through enough pain in when Frankie attacked me, this twerp Johnny brings it back to my memory. Thanks but no thanks for the revival of the darkest time in my life to be brought up again. I really don't need to see it again but I guess it's too late to beg for mercy. **

**Mac and I walked into the restaurant holding hands. Lindsay, Danny, Flack and Sam followed us into the back of the restaurant. The restaurant wasn't that busy so we had the room to ourselves. We all ordered spaghetti. I would probably regret the carbs later. The food was delicious. We talked over drinks. We discussed how we've all changed over the years.**

"**I've definitely learned a lot. We all have," Lindsay explained with a smile while we listened. "I know I have."**

**I had a feeling that this conversation would take an ugly turn for me. I was right, again. **

"**I've matured a lot since I joined the lab here. I'm a married man and we have a baby at home waiting for us." Danny said while he held Lindsay's hand on top of the table and smiled at her. **

"**I'm not an alcoholic anymore. That's a really good thing." Sam said as she held her cup of iced-tea in the air. The rest of us held up our glasses of wine for a toast. **

"**I've learned to move on and let some things go. Some things happened for a reason and I understand that now, even if it did leave me heartbroken." Flack said with a smile and took a sip of his drink. I had a feeling he was talking about Jess. **

"**Life's tough. If you don't take everything as it comes…it will engulf you and eat you alive." Mac explained while he smiled at me. I had a feeling that was directed toward me. **

**It looks like it's my turn now. I didn't like this part. I kind of wish we didn't have this discussion anymore. **

**Well…I've learned that I can't trust many people. Also, that I have the worst luck on the universe." I said with a frown. **

"**That's not…" Flack tried to explain but I cut him off.**

"**Yes it is true and you guys know it's true." I said while I glared at everyone at the table. **

**Everyone stayed silent and kept their eyes on me.**

"**Well, if you don't believe me, I'll have to explain." I said while chugging the rest of my drink down. **

**Everyone looked concerned and they were all frowning. **

"**Well, there's Frankie, I had an HIV scare and to top that off my apartment burns down. The piece of trash named Drew Bedford uses me to get to Mac and so many other things," I said while looking everyone in the eye. "Don't tell me that's good luck." **

**Everyone had frowns on their face and they were speechless. **

"**Okay. I've had enough. I'm out of here." I said while I pushed out my chair angrily and ignored everyone's pleads for me to stay and I ran out of the restaurant. **

**I stood out in the chilly, night air. What have I done? I just made a scene and I yelled at my friends. That wasn't right for me to do. **

"**Stella?" I heard a hurt voice ask. It was Mac's voice. **

"**Yes, Mac.", I said while gazing up at the moon. **

"**Please, tell me, what was all of that about?" Mac asked and walked in front of me and gazed into my eyes. **

"**I don't want everyone feeling bad for me all the time." I said with all honesty and took a step back away from Mac. He took a step forward. **

"**We know you're hurting inside, Stella. You can tell us." Mac said while he held his arms out for a hug. **

"**I really don't want to talk about this anymore and I'm sure the whole state of New York knows by now," I said while shaking my head and looked down toward the ground. "Sometimes I might not want to discuss everything all the time too." **

"**Stella, come back in.", Mac said with a smile and he pulled me in for a hug. I hugged him back and felt an ounce of comfort. **

"**I really don't want to. I'm kind of feeling sick anyway. I'm sure they won't mind. Just tell them I'm sorry and that I don't feel well. I really don't feel well." I said while folding my arms against my stomach. **

"**Okay. I'll go tell them." Mac said while kissing my cheek and walked back into the restaurant. **

**Two minutes later everyone walked out and they were smiling at me. **

"**We have a surprise for you. It's from all of us. It's even from Hawkes, Kendall and Adam." Lindsay said while holding an item behind her back. **

"**Oh, you guys didn't have to." I said while blushing lightly. **

**Mac must've known about the gift already because he was in sight of the present already. **

"**It's for you and Mac.", Flack added before nodding to Lindsay and she started walking toward me. **

"**We really hope you like it.", Lindsay said and handed the photo album to me. **

**I walked under a light and it said 'Mac and Stella's Wedding.'**

"**Are these our wedding photos?" I asked and everyone nodded happily and smiled. **

**I turned to the first page and I saw a picture of me in my wedding dress. Then there was a picture of Mac and I reading our vows to each other. I started to cry and I looked through the rest of the album quickly. I noticed a DVD in the back pocket. That must've been our wedding video. **

"**Aww, thank you so much," I said with tears rolling down my face and I hugged my dear friends. "You guys are so great. I really am sorry about before." **

"**We know. It's alright. We had a great time. We hope you feel better tomorrow." Danny said with a smile. **

"**We'll see you later. Bye." Mac said and we both waved at everyone. Soon we drove back to Mac's apartment. **

"**That was really sweet of them. Did you see it, yet?" I asked him with a smile. **

"**Yes, I did. It made me cry too. Are you alright? You look like you're really sick." Mac said with a concerned look. **

"**Oh, I'll be fine. I'm sure of it.", I said with a smile. **

**Mac carried me held me all the way up in the elevator. He opened the door. I saw all of my boxes and clothes in the corner of the room. Mac carried me to the bed and set me down gently. **

"**Do you need anything, Stella?" Mac asked me while he plumped my pillow and rolled the covers back. **

"**I guess I can go for a glass of tea and 2 Tylenol's. I have a headache," I said while Mac nodded back at me. "Thank you."**

"**You're welcome." Mac replied and I heard him getting the tea out and started it up. I got undressed out of my dress and I didn't really feel like putting anything else on so I went under the covers with my bra and underwear on. Mac came in with a glass of water and the pills I asked for. **

"**Thank you." I said as I drank down the pills with the water. **

"**No problem," Mac said with a smile. "I'm sure you'll feel better by tomorrow."**

"**I hope so. My head's pounding, my stomach hurts and it feels like I'm about to throw up.", I said slowly and I touched my face. I was really warm. **

**Mac got us both a glass of tea while I made a cold washcloth up for myself. Maybe it would cool me down a bit. **

**We were both sitting against the backboard, sipping our tea down. It was really good. It felt like I was getting better. I set my tea down when all of a sudden I got a big shock. I felt something coming. I was about to throw up. I had no time to warn Mac so I just ran out of the room, slammed the bathroom door and leaned over the toilet. When it was finally over, my eyes were red from throwing up and a few tears came out of my eyes. I flushed the toilet and washed my mouth out with water and wiped around the edges of my mouth. I heard Mac knock on the door. **

"**Yes, Mac?" I asked while splashing cold water on my face. **

"**Are you alright?" Mac asked in a concerned tone. **

"**Yes, everything's cool. I feel much better now that I threw up. I'll be out in a few." I said while I put my hair up into a pony tail. **

"**Okay. I'll be in the bedroom." Mac said quickly and I heard his footsteps get fainter as walked further down the hall. **

**Hmm, I think now was the time to tell Mac about my dream. It wouldn't help if I kept hiding it from him and he wanted to know anyway. I walked out of the bathroom and sat next to Mac on the bed. **

"**Mac, I think it's time for me to tell you my dream." I said with a smile but I was nervous as well. **

"**Okay. Take your time and do the best that you can. I'm listening." Mac said with a loving smile while I thought of how to word this terrible dream. **


	7. Chapter 7

Painful and Happy Discussions

I was sitting in the bed and watched Stella as she got ready to tell me her dream. I really wanted Johnny to pay for putting Stella in this much stress and agony. So much stress that it made her throw up. It was making her sick now. She couldn't even rest at night since she had these nightmares of what he may do to her or her family. I would rather it be me that was having all this pain instead of her.

I'm her husband and I love her very much. My life is so much brighter with her in it. I want to protect her but Johnny swears he'd do something to her family if she didn't come alone. Why did it have to be this way? Why couldn't life just be happy and peaceful?

Before Stella could start to speak I grabbed her hand and held it tightly. She smiled back at me and cleared her throat. This must've been a very painful dream. Now I was going to find out what it was all about.

"Well, remember we watched Moulin Rouge?" Stella said with a smile; a fake smile. It seemed like the dream had to do with this movie. It was a great movie but sad also.

"Yes, I do. Is that what the dream was about?" I asked calmly and while I held her hand I rubbed it to calm her down.

"Well, yeah, but everything was the same except there were no characters from the actual movie. It was me, you, Johnny, and my family." Stella said with a frown. She moved closer to me and she laid her head on my chest.

"What happened in the dream?" I asked patiently and I was thinking it was going to get bad now since Stella stopped explaining.

"Well, I found Johnny and I got my parents and sister out alive." Stella said with a smile and then it turned into a frown again.

"That's a good thing." I said with a smile and listened to her again.

"I wasn't sure what he wanted with me, I guess I'd never know. We heard sirens and…he shot me in the heart." Stella said quickly and she started to cry. I rubbed her back and tried to comfort her.

I had a vivid image in my mind of what happened in the dream. You must've dreamt that I came to save her with some help and Johnny didn't like that. I know when the time comes; I'm going to have to let her go by herself. I may not even see her again; my wife, my love and my best friend. It was going to be tough but I had to do it for Stella and her family.

"Stella, it will be fine. What happened next?" I asked while rubbing her back and it soothed her.

"No, it won't, Mac. Well, the cops arrested Johnny and you ran in and saw me shot with a pool of blood under me. I told you I loved you and I was gone and you held and cried over my body." Stella said slowly and looked up at me.

"Stella, it was just a dream you know?" I asked while I wiped my eyes so I wouldn't cry.

"It hurts, Mac, It really hurts and I'm going to have to face him myself. What if that dream depicts what happens?" Stella asked while she looked into my eyes.

"That's not going to happen because I'm letting you go alone." it was hard for me to say but I had to do it.

"You will?" Stella asked with a smile.

"Yes. That's what he wants and that's what he's going to get. You and your family are going to come out safe." I said with a smile and I kissed her forehead.

"I really hope you're right, Mac," Stella said with a frown and moved up to me and kissed me on the lips. It was starting to get passionate when Stella's cell phone started to buzz. "Hold on, okay?"

I nodded and she must've gotten a text.

"Lindsay said that her babysitter couldn't make it tomorrow so she asked if we could watch Lucy for the day. Do you want to? I don't mind. Lucy's a cutie." Stella said with a smile and waited for my answer.

"Sure, I don't mind. We'll just take the day off.", I said with a smile and Stella texted her back.

"Okay. She said she'd bring her around noon with her stuff and she'd pick her up about 8 'o clock. That's good, right?" Stella asked me again while I took off my shirt and turned the air conditioner up a setting. She smiled at me without my shirt on.

"Yeah, that's great. Tell her we'll see her then." I said and laid back down on back and I kicked my shorts off as well. Stella put her phone on the table and she laid back down next to me.

"Do you want to continue that kiss?" Stella said with a wink and I pulled her lips to mine and we kissed for ages until we couldn't any more. Stella fell asleep on my chest and she slept peacefully for the rest of the night. She didn't have a nightmare from what I seen. It was about 9 in the morning when I opened my eyes and saw Stella still sleeping peacefully.

I saw her yawn and stretch and she smiled up at me.

"I didn't have a nightmare. It was a beautiful dream." Stella said with a smile and rubbed my chest.

"Do you want to explain?" I said curiously. I had to admit I was curious of what happened.

"Well, it was me and you. We were at an amusement park with the whole team and our daughter came with us." Stella smiled up at me and I smiled back down at her.

"It seems like a very sweet dream." I said with a smile and pushed a curl out of her face.

I've always wanted a child even when I was with Claire. I would love to have a child with Stella but I'm very nervous. I don't know if I'd be a great dad. I'm sure that Stella could be a great mother, she acts like she's Lucy's second mother.

"I'm not sure if you want to talk about this now but it seems like the time." Stella said with a smile.

"What is it?" I asked with curious eyes.

"Well, I was wondering…if you'd ever like to have a baby someday." is all Stella said to me.

"Of course I do. I love you and I would love to have a baby with you." I said with a smile.

"I feel the same way. I think I'd be a great mom and you'd be a wonderful dad." Stella said while she sat up and stretched.

"You really think so? I'd be a good dad?" I said in shock.

"Of course you would. You'd be great. Are you nervous?" Stella asked and I nodded my head.

"I don't think I'd be a great dad. I'm nervous and I don't know if I'd be able to do it.", I said with a frown, while Stella got dressed.

"Look at Danny and Lindsay; they weren't ready for a kid. They are wonderful parents and they've handled it very well," Stella said with a smile. "Maybe we could plan when the time is right."

"Sure we can. I'm just not sure if I could be a great dad. The kid's will probably end up hating me.", I said with a frown.

"That's not true and I'll prove it to you when we have our first. You just wait and see Mac.", Stella said with a wink and walked out into the kitchen.

I followed her out and began to speak again.

"Maybe we can try after this whole thing with Johnny cools down." I said while grabbing 2 cups out of the cupboard and put them on the counter.

"I was thinking the same thing." Stella replied while she made coffee and I turned on the radio.

The Black Eyed Peas' song, 'I Got a Feeling.' was playing. It was such a great song.

"I love this song." I said while dancing to the music. Stella noticed me and she started laughing. She joined me and we danced around like 15 year olds. We never had this much fun in ages.

Before we knew it, it was about 12 when we heard a knock on the door; It was Lindsay with Lucy. There was a Spongebob marathon on and knowing that's Lucy's favorite show, I left it on for her.

"Hey, Stella." Lindsay said while holding Lucy.

"Hey, Linds. Here. Let me take her.", Stella said quickly and took Lucy from Lindsay's arms while she brought her stuff in. Lindsay brought her bag in and set it in the corner.

"Well, I have a bottle made already so I guess you can give this to her now," Lindsay said and handed me a bottle and Lucy grabbed it. "She'll probably want another around 4 and then 7, but it changes with her everyday. There are baby cookies in there and she loves them. So, basically, if she cries, she's thirsty, hungry or she needs her diaper changed. There are diapers in here too."

"Okay, we'll be fine. We'll see you around 8. Don't be late to work." I said with a wink.

"Okay. Bye and thank you." Lindsay said while she started to walk out.

"You're welcome." we both said at the same time.

Lucy saw Spongebob and ran over to the T.V and sat down.

"Well, let's call this our practice with a baby." Stella said with a smile.

"Well, I'm the one who needs practice. You're perfectly alright with babies." I said with a smile.

"Well, you can change her diaper and make her up a bottle." Stella said with a smile.

"Okay. You'll have to show me what to do with the bottle though." I said with a wink.

"This is going to be really fun." Stella said and we watched Lucy laugh it was so adorable.

"She is one cute kid, isn't she?" I said with a smile.

"Yes, she is. She got both of her parents' genes." Stella said with a smile.

"Well, she got Danny's blue eyes." I said with a smile.

"Don't forget Lindsay's hair and Danny's smile." Stella said with a smile.

"Looks like you know a lot about Danny." I said with a joke.

"What's that supposed to mean, Mac?" Stella said in anger.

"Nothing, I was just joking." I said with a fake frown.

Stella laughed, "I know you are. Soon, we should put her down for a nap because it looks like she's getting tired." Stella said with a smile.

"Okay.", I said and we put her down for a nap.

------------------

Well, I learned how to change a diaper and make a bottle. I was feeling better about this whole situation. Maybe I could be a great dad, but I didn't know what the next day would bring and we would both be shocked by it.


	8. Chapter 8

**AN: Thanks for the reviews. Here's Chapter 8. It's back in Stella's POV now. I hope you enjoyed Mac's POV in the last chapter. Please, review! ****J **

**Yes or No? **

We had a very fun day yesterday with Lucy. Now it was time to get back to work and focus on the important things. It's Tuesday, May 19th now. I've realized that I've been wasting time. I haven't gotten any other hints or any dreams that might lead me to where Johnny's at; I kind of wish I did. The pain that he caused was slowly melting away because I had Mac at my side but I knew deep inside that I was still hurting and this fight was far from over. Mac wasn't up yet and it was about 8 in the morning. We were going to be late for work. I grabbed my laptop that was under the bed and checked some websites. It was cool because I could type and it wouldn't wake Mac up. That's really awesome.

I went onto AIM just hoping for Johnny to be on and I really don't know why I wanted him to be on; he caused me so much pain in the last chat. Would I be ready for a second chat? He couldn't hurt me anymore. He's hurt me enough already so I doubt he could affect me anymore. I signed on but I closed my laptop fast and it woke Mac up.

"Hey.", he said while he stretched his arms out.

"Hey. Sorry I woke you up." I said with a pout and kicked the covers off of me.

"No, don't be sorry. We should've gotten up already. We have to get to work or we won't get any pay." Mac said with a smile and pushed out his lips. I moved over to him and we kissed for a minute. Before I knew it we were getting dressed for work. It's kind of funny that I didn't have a nightmare again. It was a good dream. Mac and I were in the JFK airport and we were going on a trip to Puerto Rico. Is that a piece to my puzzle? It couldn't be; he wanted me to stay here and not take another trip. Did the airport have to do anything with this?

"So, did you have a good sleep?" Mac asked while we drove to the lab and he interrupted my train of thought.

"Yes, I did. It was funny because I had a dream that you and I were going to Puerto Rico and we were in the JFK airport. I was trying to think if that had anything to do with Johnny." I said with a smile.

"Well, we can try to put your dreams together. What did the location look like for the first one?" Mac asked in a comforting tone. I think he's on to something.

"Well, I was running and running. It was paved and it looked like a garage or warehouse." I said while reliving the dream and I shook my head to get the image out.

"Well, maybe it's a warehouse by an airport. Maybe it's not exactly JFK airport." Mac said while we pulled into the garage under the lab.

"Yeah, maybe you're right." I said with a smile.

Maybe one night I should go driving around at night and check out airports. I guess it could work but that doesn't mean my dreams are right. I need another hint. I have to talk to Johnny again.

Mac and I were assigned on separate cases today so we hugged and kissed each other goodbye. I had a case with Lindsay and Danny. Lindsay and I were going over evidence and we were chatting up a storm.

"It was so sweet when Lucy was over. Mac didn't think he could be a good dad. He acted great around Lucy. He even changed her diaper and made up a bottle." I said with a smile. That image with Mac holding Lucy was tear-jerking. He would be a marvelous father.

"Mac could be a very great dad. I know he could do it.", Lindsay said with a smile while we waited for results. It's been going extremely slow today.

'He even said we could try for a baby after this whole thing with Johnny is over." I replied and slipped off my gloves and walked over to the computer which had AIM installed on it.

"That's really great. At least you would be ready for a baby; we weren't even ready." Lindsay said with a frown.

"Don't get sad, Lindsay. You guys are great parents and you have a great baby," I said reassuringly and logged on. I saw Lindsay was confused with why I was on AIM. "Yeah, Johnny switched from paper to digital now. He wants us to chat online now."

Lindsay nodded her head and smiled and was looking up and down at me.

"What's wrong?" I asked with a frown.

"You look sick and tired. Are you fine?" Lindsay said while grabbing a chair.

"I guess I'm fine. After dinner the other night I threw up. I don't know if it was from stress with this crap I've been dealing with or it was the food and I had a huge headache." I said and I was logged on to AIM right now. Johnny was offline but I'm sure he'd be on soon.

"You did? Oh." is all Lindsay said. I was nervous now.

"What are you thinking, Linds?" I asked nervously and looked her in the eyes.

"Maybe it's not from the food or the stress. Maybe it's something else." Lindsay said with a wink and she pointed at my stomach.

"You think I'm pregnant?" I asked with a shocked face.

"You never know, Stella." Lindsay said with a smile and I stood up from the chair.

"I couldn't be pregnant. We used protection in Jamaica and here even." I said in shock. Would I get what every woman wanted to soon?

"Do you use birth control?" Lindsay asked while she walked over to me and rubbed my shoulder.

"Yes I do. I just can't believe I'm pregnant. I don't think I missed a day," I said sadly and then it dawned on me. I missed a pill on my wedding day and we had sex that night. "I missed one on my wedding day. Oh no. Linds, what am I gonna do?"

"Well, I'll be a good friend and run out and get a pregnancy test for you. I'm sure you don't want to tell Mac about it yet." Lindsay said while I nodded yes.

"Thank you, Linds. I owe you one." I said with a smile.

"Yes you do because if Danny sees me carrying this back you're dead." Lindsay said with a smile and walked out of the lab and Mac walked in after her.

"Hey, how are you?" Mac asked me with a smile and pulled me in for a hug.

"I'm good. I'm waiting for results." I said plainly and I really hoped Mac didn't hear what Lindsay and I were discussing.

"Well, I was just coming to check on you. I have to head out to the crime scene again. I'm not sure if you will be here when I get back so I guess I will see you at home. Wait, you don't have a ride." Mac said with a half-smile and leaned against the table.

"Oh, it's fine. Lindsay can give me a ride home. It's fine." I said with a smile and we kissed each other goodbye.

I walked over to the computer and Johnny was online. Oh no. This was it. I had to find it where he was right now or I may never find my parents.

**StellaRules28: Hello, Johnny.**

_**JohnnyRox197: Hey. How are you?**_

**StellaRules28: I'm fine. I just had a couple of questions. **

_**Okay, I'm listening.**_

**You told me to listen to my dreams and I am. I'm thinking that you are in a warehouse somewhere.**

_**Oh really? I guess you could call it that. **_

**Can you tell me where it is?**

_**I'm sorry I can't do that, Bonasera, but if you guess right, I'll tell you. **_

**It's Bonasera-Taylor. You were watching at the wedding. Wow. **

_**It slipped my mind. I have more important things to do than just sit here and try to remember your new last name.**_

**You're a smart-ass, you know that? **

_**Oh, thanks for bringing that up. My parents called me that when I was 12. I'm pretty sure I'm not a smart-ass anymore. **_

**Is it by an airport? The warehouse or whatever you call it? **

_**Yes, it is. Wow, it took you this long to find out? I almost forgot…Congratulations, Stella! **_

**Well, someone wasn't giving hints. And what do you mean congratulations?**

_**You're pregnant, aren't ya? **_

**I don't think I am and how would you know that? **

_**Come on, Stella. I know everything and I like to listen to everything too. Lindsay's a great friend. She would just run and get you a pregnancy test even if Danny may catch her.**_

**How do you know that? **

_**I'm not dumb and I'm not deaf either. I'm in the lab you know that right?**_

He was in the lab. I was so freaked out. What if he had a gun or something? I had to keep my eye out now. He had to be close enough that he'd be able to hear me and Lindsay talking, unless he had a hidden speaker or something. I walked up from the computer and I looked at the files on the desk. Sure enough there was a mic on the bottom of it. I threw it on the ground and stepped on it. How could he have got past everyone in this lab, especially me? I was in here all day, except for when I went to the bathroom. Damn.

_**Aw, Stella. That was my best mic.**_

**What do you want, Johnny? Why are you at the lab?**

_**Oh, I'm not anymore but it seems like you know where I am. **_

**Wait. Who's your favorite president?**

_**What? Why?**_

**I'm just curious.**

_**John F. Kennedy**_

**Okay. Thanks. I know exactly where you are now. **

_**Good. Then I will be expecting you later tonight. Perhaps when Mac is asleep and come alone. Don't even tell him where you're going. **_

**I saw Lindsay go by and Danny was right behind her and he didn't seem happy. Looks like you and Lindsay won't be the only one in on your little secret. Bye.**

**Johnny logged off and I seen Lindsay run past where I was and she ran into the women's bathroom. Danny looked pissed and he stamped over to me. **

"**I ran out to buy a drink and I seen her buying a pregnancy test. I know we use protection; every time. She's in big trouble!" Danny said angrily with his fists clenched. He was so angry that he scared me. I had to tell him about this misunderstanding. **

"**She's not the one in trouble. I'm the one in trouble." I said with a frown and tried to walk out and he grabbed my arm.**

"**What are you saying? She's not pregnant?" Danny said with a confused grimace.**

"**No. I think I am. She just went out and bought that for me. She didn't want you to see it because you might've thought she was and you might've got mad; which I could see you would have." I said with a smile. **

"**Oh, that's good. I'm not ready for a second child yet. Good luck, Stell. Does Mac know?" Danny asked with a smile. **

"**No. He's not gonna know yet. I just hope I'm not because of Johnny. I'm nervous. I have to find him by Sunday." I said with a frown, even though I knew where Johnny was and got ready to head to the bathrooms. **

"**Well, let me know what happens and tell Lindsay I'm sorry that I freaked on her.", Danny replied, I nodded back at him and he headed in the other direction. I ran into the bathroom and I saw Lindsay crying. **

"**Lindsay, what's the matter?" I asked with a frown and I hugged her.**

"**He thinks I'm pregnant. I'm so dead. He's gonna kill me for this." Lindsay said with a frown and let go of me. **

"**Oh, no he won't. I told him everything. He understands and he said he's sorry for scaring you like that." I said with a smile. **

"**Oh, thank god. I thought I was toast. Well, this is a newer test and it's more accurate than the others. It will say pregnant or not pregnant. It's that easy. You might have to wait for a few minutes. You should be fine." Lindsay said comfortingly and she handed me the package. I nodded and walked into the bathroom. **

**I took it out of the box. This little contraption looked so scary. I sat down and did my thing. I set it on the sink and I waited. It was about 4 minutes later and Lindsay said it was about time. I closed my eyes and I looked down at the test. **


	9. Chapter 9

**AN: Thanks for the reviews. Here's Chapter 9. **

**Testing My Limits**

**I kind of didn't want to look down and see the answer, but I had to. It said yes. I kind of smiled at the answer but I was worried with Johnny. Lindsay knocked on the stall and I came out with a smile on my face. I would finally be a mother and Mac would be a father. **

"**I'm pregnant, Linds." I smiled at the word and Lindsay jumped up and down with a wider smile than mine. **

"**I'm so happy for you," Lindsay said with a smile and hugged me. "When are you gonna tell Mac?" **

**Of course I had to tell Mac. I didn't know when I was going to tell him. I can of didn't want to because that could be one more thing that might make him more nervous about me going alone to see Johnny. **

"**I'm not sure. I kind of don't want to tell him. I guess the next time I see him." I said with raised eyebrows and I threw the test in the trashcan. **

"**I'll come with you if you need my help." Lindsay said as she held open the door for me and we walked out and saw Danny leaning against the wall with a smirk. **

"**I could use the help, Linds. Thanks." I said thankfully and laughed at Danny. **

"**I guess it turned out okay for you, right Stella? I could hear Lindsay's screams from down the hall." Danny said with a smile and walked over and gave Lindsay a hug. **

"**Yes, it's really okay. I'm just nervous that's all but I guess it's normal. Have you seen Mac?" I asked Danny and searched around myself. **

"**He's back from the crime scene and he's not in a good mood." Danny said with a frown and his eyes grew wide and someone poked me on the sides and I screamed in terror. It was Mac.**

"**I'm sorry, Stella." Mac said with a frown and pulled me in for a hug. **

"**It's okay," I replied back while Danny and Lindsay walked toward us. "So, how was your case?" **

"**It was terrible. A 7 year old girl killed her father; she poured chemicals into his coffee. She told us she would've liked to live with her mother; turns out she doesn't have a mom. What a stupid kid!" Mac said angrily and smiled again. **

"**That's terrible." is all I said. I didn't really want to mention our good news yet because of what this case has done to him. Lindsay was waiting for me to tell him but I didn't say anything. After a minute of silence, they waved goodbye to us. It was about 3 'o clock now. **

"**You seem happy." Mac said with a grin while we walked to his office. **

"**Yeah, a little bit." I said with a smile. Mac offered me a coffee but I refused. I took a bottle of water instead. I never refused his coffees. Hopefully he doesn't remember how Lindsay denied coffees when she was pregnant and compare that to me. **

"**Can I ask what about?" he asked while looking over a file. **

"**You're here, of course. Why wouldn't I be happy?" I said quickly and looked out the window. **

"**I was just wondering and I was only stepping in to check on you. I still won't get back until later. I'm sorry." Mac said with a frown and he hugged me. We kissed and I smiled up at him. **

"**No, it's fine. Lindsay can drive me home. It's okay. I'll see you later though." I said happily and smiled. **

"**Okay. I have to head out. I'll see you later. I love you." Mac said while holding my hand and he let go. **

"**I love you too." I said while he walked out of the office and left me standing there. **

**I sat down on his chair and sighed. I gazed out the window again and I looked down at the busy streets. I was so nervous about later. I closed my eyes and I fell asleep with my hands on my stomach. I could feel a tiny bump but I don't think it was noticeable yet. I must've been only around a week along. That's not long at all. I heard a knock on the door and I spun the chair around. Flack was smiling at me. **

"**Can I come in?" he asked politely while I nodded yes and he sat down in the chair. **

"**Hey.", I said happily and I yawned for a second. **

"**Hey. Congratulations." Flack said happily and he pointed to my stomach. **

"**How many people are Lindsay and Danny telling? I don't want this whole lab knowing. I didn't even tell Mac yet." I said with a frown and looked at a magazine. **

"**Well, only Adam, Hawkes, Kendall, Sid and I know about it. I'll make sure no one else finds out or tells anyone about it. You know you can't hide it forever." Flack said with a wink. **

"**Of course I can't. I have a living being inside me. I surely can't hide that," I said with a smirk. "Is that all you wanted to talk about?"**

"**No. That wasn't it actually." Flack said with a frown and took a deep breath. "What's going on with Johnny? You seemed stressed."**

**Flack was like a big brother to me even though he was younger than me. I couldn't tell anyone about Johnny and that I know where he is now.**

"**Of course I'm stressed. He knows what I'm doing, he has my family. There's nothing I can do about it now." I said with a frown and then smiled again. **

"**You'll find him. I know you will. We always got your back here, you know that?" Flack asked with a smile and he walked over to me. **

"**Yes, I do, but I have to do this on my own, without any help from anyone." I said with a smile and looked him in the eyes. **

"**I understand. You'll be careful out there, okay?" Flack said with a wink and he held out his arms for a hug.**

**I hugged him and replied, "Of course I will. You know me." **

**He smiled and walked to the door. **

"**Hey.", I called out to him and he turned around. **

"**Thanks for caring and being a great friend. You're like my big brother that I never had." I said with a smile and he smiled back at me.**

"**That's what friends are for. You've been the big sister to me. Thank you. And you're welcome, Stella. Take an easy, okay?" Flack said with a grin.**

"**You're welcome. Okay. See you later." I said before directing my attention to Mac's computer. **

"**Bye.", Flack said when he walked out. **

**I'm not going to talk to him again. He's already expecting me tonight and I have to go. I better find Lindsay and get a ride home. **

**---------**

"**Thanks for driving me home, Linds, and thanks for the dinner as well. You didn't have to do that." I said with a smile while unbuckling my seatbelt. **

"**It's no problem, Stella. You take care of yourself. I'll see you tomorrow." Lindsay said and started up the car again. **

"**Okay. Bye." I said with a smile and I walked toward our apartment with the key in my hands and I heard Lindsay pull away. It would just be me in the apartment until Mac comes home. **

**It seemed like everyone knew I was going after Johnny today. They were saying 'take care' and 'be careful'. I just hope they don't know because I don't want anything bad to happen. Tonight I would have to find that abandoned warehouse by the JFK airport. It was a bit of a drive but I had my car here; that was a great thing. **

**I walked into the apartment and turned on the lights. I slipped off my heels and went through my bags of clothes. Tonight I was going to wear jeans, a red-sweater and my best leather jacket. It was pretty cold out and it was raining outside. I had to be prepared for the worst. I just hope I could take it. I got out a pair of socks and sneakers and I slipped that on as well. I noticed my bullet-proof vest. I should take that when I head out. **

**I turned on the T.V and I made myself a cup of hot chocolate. I turned on Spongebob. It was a pretty good show; maybe even something I would get my future children into. I was giggling like a little girl when I heard a knock on the door. **

"**Hello?" I called out and waited for an answer. **

"**It's Johnny.", when I heard the name, I freaked out. He was coming to get me. I bolted up from the couch and I locked the door. **

"**What do you want?!" I screamed at the door with my gun pointed at it. **

"**I just wanted to make sure you were keeping your secret and that you were ready for tonight," Johnny spoke loudly. "Let me in."**

"**No, I won't let you in. You better be ready to let my family go tonight." I spoke furiously and stood my ground. **

"**I may let them go if you let me in.", Johnny spoke curiously and knocked again. **

**I don't think he would kill me. Maybe I should let him in. Maybe he'll tell me more. Oh, what should I do? **

"**Stella…" Johnny continued to bug me. I decided I'm going to let him in. **

"**If you have any weapons, put them down." I told Johnny angrily. **

"**Of course I don't.", Johnny retorted and I unlocked the door and twisted the knob and there he was standing there. **

**He had dark, black hair; blue eyes. He was dressed in a leather jacket as well with shorts and no shirt. **

"**Well, looks like we share the same fashion sense as well." Johnny replied while I pondered my decision. **

**I hope this doesn't work out the same way it did with Frankie. I let Johnny in; Frankie snuck in. **

"**What do you really want?" I asked with a smile. **

"**I meant what I said. I just wanted you to know there is a shortcut through a back-road behind the airport so you won't get noticed," Johnny said with a smile. "And, you of course." **

**He's obsessed with me.**

"**Get out!" I yelled and I ran for my cell-phone. He knocked it out of my hand. **

"**Oh, don't act that way, Stella," Johnny said with a smile. "Come on, just a kiss. Mac will never know. If you do kiss me, I'll let your parents go."**

"**What about Calista?" I asked with a shocked face. **

"**That's going to take more." Johnny said while he stepped closer to me and he let his finger slid down my face.**

"**You want me to have sex with you?!" I asked furiously. I was outraged. **

"**I do have a huge bed back at the warehouse." Johnny said smartly and I just wanted to slap him. **

**Maybe I would have to do these things to let them go but I would still have to pay. I'm going to do it. **

**I grabbed his face and started kissing him. I pushed him on to the couch and gave him all that I got. He groaned in happiness and he got on me. It went on for 5 minutes straight until we were both gasping for air. I can't believe I just did that. **

"**Wow. Good girl, Stella. I knew you would come around. Well, I'll see you later." Johnny said quickly and walked out of the door. **

**I sat there on the couch. Minutes later Mac walked in. He kissed me and we went to bed. It was minutes later when Mac was in a full sleep. **

"**I love you." I whispered and I grabbed the vest and walked down to the car. I was driving toward the airport now. That might've been the last time I would see my husband.**


	10. Chapter 10

**AN: Thanks for the reviews. As you can see, Stella did something very stupid. Keep reading to see what happens. **

**Catching Up**

I was driving down the seemingly endless highway toward the airport as the rain beat down fast and hard. My heart beat furiously against my chest. I was ashamed at what I did about 30 minutes ago. I didn't want to kiss him or make out with him but I had no choice. He said he'd let me parents go. It's so hard to believe that he would let them go; well, he did want me.

He said to release Calista, it would take more work. He wants to have sex with me. I should've known it would come to this. I can't believe I would this to Mac. He's my husband but I have to save my family. I would never love Johnny; never. If I never made it out of this, I just hope Mac knows I will always love him; forever. I'd do whatever it takes to save them; I hope Mac knows that.

I hope Mac will understand and I really hope he still loves me as much as I love him and I really hope he can forgive me for this. I may never see him again. I may never see my dear friends that have been there for me always. I didn't even tell Mac I was pregnant. I was so afraid. He was in a bad mood. I didn't tell him because I was nervous and that would've just made it even harder for him to let me go and do this on my own; alone. If I made it out alive, I must've been doing the right thing all along. If not, I've been running in a path of mistakes for a while now.

I took the back road and I started to breathe heavily. I felt like I needed an inhaler even though I didn't need one. I tried to take deep breaths but it wasn't working. I had both hands on the wheeler and I drove faster. The vroom of the engine made me angry and I was almost at 100 miles per hour now. I instantly saw my wedding ring on my finger. I couldn't believe I was doing this.

My life felt so good since I joined the Crime Lab and I met Mac. Everything was great until Johnny showed up. Some people can't let things go. That's what Johnny has to do; get over Frankie's death. It has been years now since he died. I'm pregnant now and I have to fight for 5 lives now; including mine. Why couldn't everything be happy and peaceful now?

I made out the warehouse in the rain. It was guarded by a fence. I had my bullet-proof vest on and I had my gun in my holster. I got out of the car and ran toward the fence. I made my way through the fence but I ripped my favorite jeans. I didn't really care.

It was just like my dream but I couldn't see my family or Johnny. I ran for my life and I was actually moving this time. I was doing great until I tripped and fell. My arm slammed on the ground and it hurt really badly. My already soaked clothes were soaked even more because I fell right into a puddle. I pushed myself up and I ran faster. I made slowed down when I could make out the door. I took out my gun and leaned against the wall. I wonder if Johnny knew I was here already. I wasn't going to knock; I was going to barge in. I counted to 3 in my head and I was going to kick down the door.

1...2...3

I kicked but I didn't feel the door. Johnny opened the door and I fell flat on my face with my gun in my hands.

"It's nice of you to make it, Stella." Johnny said to me with a smile while I snarled up at him.

I saw my parents and sister tied up to chairs. I sighed when I saw they were safe. I even saw 2 beds set up. He must've let them sleep there.

"Yes. I told you I would come." I replied while I hung up my wet jacket.

My parents and sister stared at me curiously and I smiled back at them.

"Why don't you take a seat? I already have a chair for you set up already." Johnny told me while he pointed to where my family sat. I walked over and sat down. I didn't know what to say to my parents.

"I'll let you 3 to get to know each other." Johnny said with a smirk and winked at me while he walked into another room.

"Are you guys alright?" I asked them with a shocked face.

"Yes. We're fine," my mother Eva said while I tried to untie her. "No. Don't untie me. He'll just tie us up tighter."

"Thank god you are here, Stella," my father Zeth told me with a smile. "This guy's so annoying you can't even believe."

"You okay?" I asked my sister, Calista and she looked at me.

"No. I'm not," Calista yelled at me. "I'm dying here while you get to sit in peace and harmony in your little apartment."

I didn't know what to say.

"You're lucky I'm here." is all I said to her and smiled.

"I think we have a lot to explain." my mother started to explain while I stared at her.

"I'm listening." I said happily.

"Well, we were in high school when I got pregnant. I was 18. Your father was 19. We knew we couldn't take care of you. Our families didn't have a lot of money; neither did we. We knew you would've had a better chance if you were adopted", my mom explained while I sat speechless. "We were trying to find you but we couldn't. You could've been anywhere. 19 years later when I was 37, we wanted another child. Soon, we were blessed with Cali. We had enough money to support a child because we both went to college. I became a doctor and your father became a writer."

"So, you guys just forgot about me?" I asked sadly and turned away for a moment.

"Of course we didn't. We couldn't find you." my father explained. It made sense. And if I did live with my parents my whole life, I never would've met Mac or my friends.

"You have NO idea what I went through without parents." I said while looking at them.

"Your life seems very bright and peaceful now and you have a great job." my mom said while looking at my ring and badge.

"Yeah, I guess I do. Someone told me you died." I said with a frown. Reliving the moment was really hard.

"Who said that?" my dad asked me in shock.

"Professor Papakota.", I answered them and sighed.

He was a mentor and role model to me and he turned into something I couldn't even imagine. He died in my arms.

"We knew him. He didn't want you to know about us and he took you to New York when you were little. I never knew you were still there," my mom said with a smile. "How is he anyway?"

"He's dead. He died about a year ago." I said with a frown.

"That's too bad. He used to be a great friend." my dad said while pondering his memories.

"Well, he wasn't a good guy at all. That's all that mattered I guess." I said with raised eyebrows and I saw Johnny come out of the room.

"Well, it looks like you guys got caught up. Would you guys like anything? Is a soda okay?" Johnny asked with a smile and we all nodded. He handed us all a Pepsi and he untied the chairs so they could drink. When he wasn't looking, I opened the lid and ripped it off just in case I had to cut myself out of something.

I could only wonder what Mac was thinking now. I felt guilty for leaving him.

------------

**Mac's POV:**

I didn't sleep long because I sensed there was something wrong. It slept for about an hour. I rolled over with my eyes closed only to feel no one sleeping by me.

"Stella?" I called out with a scared tone. I got out of the bed and I threw my shirt and shorts on. There were no lights turned on. Maybe she was sleeping on the couch. For what, I really don't know. She wasn't there either. Stella was nowhere to be seen. I had an idea of where she was but I was so freaked out. Johnny.

I grabbed my cell phone and called Lindsay just in case Stella might've stopped there.

"Lindsay, have you seen Stella?" I asked her with a frown and I heard Danny in the background.

"_No, the last time I saw her was a couple hours ago. I drove her home from work and we ate after and I dropped her off. Why?" Lindsay asked me in a frightened way._

"She's not here. She's gone. Lindsay, I don't know what to do.", I said while I tapped the counter nervously.

"_I'm sure she's fine…do you think she went to see Johnny?" Lindsay asked nervously and took deep breaths. _

"Well, I have no other idea why she would leave the house at 11 at night. I'm scared, Lindsay." I told her honestly and sat down on the couch with my hand on my head.

"_We can't go find her, you know that. If she's where Johnny is at, we can't go." Danny said now. _

"I know. I'm just, so nervous. What if I don't see her again?" I asked sadly and leaned back now.

"_She'll make it, Mac. We all know she will. Just get some rest. We'll see you in the morning. Bye." Danny told me. It was getting to him too. _

"Bye.", I said blankly and closed the cell phone.

I fell asleep on the couch and I was soon it was morning. I didn't want to move or go to work but I had to. I walked into my office with a frown. I saw all of my friends walking toward my office. Danny, Lindsay, Flack, Hawkes, Kendall, Adam and Sid were walking toward me.

"How are you, Mac?" Flack asked me with a smile. My office was now crowded.

"I'm scared, pissed and nervous. I guess every feeling in the book." I said quickly and sat down.

"Everything's going to be fine." Hawkes told me and I couldn't believe him. I always told Stella that. Now, I'm being told.

"You can't be sure of that. We'll never know." I said with a frown.

"You know that's not true." Adam told me with raised eyebrows.

"I have no clue when I can go find her. I can't just show up there." I said nervously and put my feet on my desk.

"Of course you can't. Stella's strong. She'll make it through this." Sid explained and smiled at me.

"Did you try to call her?" Kendall said with a smile.

"That's a great idea! I'll put it on speaker," I said with a smile. "God, please pick up, Stella."

It rang 5 times and it would soon come to her voicemail. I was about to hang up when something unexpected happened.

"_Mac, is that you?" I heard Stella say and our hopes raised. Everyone was smiling. _

"Stella! Thank god you're okay. I was so scared." I said truthfully and smiled.

"_Don't be scared. I'm fine." Stella said happily and I heard people in the background. _

"Where are you?" I asked her happily.

"_I can't tell you, Mac. You…can't come get me. I'll call you. Look, I have to go." Stella said and was about to hang up._

"No. Please, don't go yet. I love you," I said with a frown. "Stay safe. You can do it."

"_I know I can. I love you, too. Bye." Stella said and she hung up. _

"_Bye.", I said sadly but she never heard me. _

"_See, she's fine." Danny said with a smile. _

"_For now, if he touches her, I'll kill him!" I screamed and pounded my desk. _

_Lindsay looked me in the eyes and said, "She'll be fine. Just wait and see. Soon she'll be in your arms again with…" _

_I heard Lindsay stop and she had a guilty look on her face. So did everyone else._

"_What? Who? Tell me, Lindsay. ", I demanded for her to tell me. _

"_Stella's pregnant." Lindsay told me that and I was shocked. _


	11. Chapter 11

**I just wanted people to know that I don't own CSI: NY or any of its characters; only Johnny, Calista, Eva, Zeth and the baby. ****J **

**AN: Well, Lindsay let the cat out of the bag. Mac found out Stella was pregnant. Also read to find out what happens at the warehouse. ;) **

**Everything's Alright…For Now**

Lindsay told me something I wasn't expecting and I'm sure she didn't mean to. I couldn't believe it. That couldn't be true. We said we'd try after this shit with Johnny was over. What happened to that? I think it happened in Jamaica. We weren't thinking right.

"Why are _you _telling me this, Lindsay?" I asked her with raised eyebrows.

"I'm sorry, Mac. It just slipped out and I think you had a right to know." Lindsay said with an innocent smile.

"What really pisses me off is that Stella isn't the one telling me this. Did you all know?" I said furiously and everyone nodded their heads. I was stunned. "And I'm the last one to know? I'm her fucking husband!"

"Mac, calm down. It's not what you think." Danny said with raised hands.

"Then what is it then, if it's not all of you trying to hide something very special from me?" I said with clenched fists.

"Look!" Lindsay yelled at me and it scared me. I never saw Lindsay angry before. "I was the first to know. You know how news spreads. She was going to try to tell you when you got back from the case and you were pissed. Stella was scared; it's normal and you weren't in a good mood. I was sure she would've told you last night."

Lindsay did have a point. I was kind of grumpy and I don't know how I would've handled that.

"Well, she didn't. She looked stunned when I walked through the door. I don't know why though. Then she disappeared," I said with a frown. "Wow. I'm going to be a dad. I just wish I didn't find out this way," I liked the thought of being a dad and I smiled. "I hope Stella will be okay."

"She's strong, Mac. She'll get through this." Flack said and winked at me.

"Well, thanks for the support but I think you all have a job here. So, you better head out." I said demandingly but with a smile.

Everyone smiled and walked away in different directions.

"Wow," I said to myself and smiled. "Everything's happening so fast. I'm going to be a father."

I decided to text Stella. I didn't know if she'd reply but it was worth the shot.

Text:

_Hey honey. I just wanted 2 tell you that I know about our bundle of joy on the way. Lindsay spilled it all the details 2 me. I'm so happy to be a father. I love you. I hope I c u soon. J _

I waited a couple of minutes to see if Stella replied.

Text:

_**Hey babe. I was going 2 tell you but I was nervous and you weren't that happy yesterday. We're all fine here and I'm gonna try to see u soon as well. Remember, when it's time and I call…you'll know when 2 send the cops after Johnny. ;) Bye. I love you! **_

I knew Stella was fine. It was only about 15 minutes ago since I called her on the phone. I just hope everything works out fine.

**----------------**

**Stella's POV:**

Mac knows I'm pregnant now. I kind of feel better that Lindsay told him so he'd know. I would've told him eventually but I didn't really want to spill it to him now because I didn't have no idea how he would react.

I talked to my sister, Cali a lot since I've arrived. She wasn't that happy at first but she's warming up to me now. We have a lot of things in common. She even wants to be a CSI. I've bonded with my family and it felt good to have them with me. Johnny got up from his recliner and poked me on the shoulder.

"Can we talk for a second, Stella? Alone?" Johnny asked me while smiling that devilish smile and I had a feeling I was in trouble.

"Of course we can." I answered nervously as he led me into the other room as I looked back at my family. They were just as concerned as me.

He turned on the light, closed the door and locked it. I saw a big bed in the middle of the room. It took up most of the room. I had a bad feeling about this.

"Um, what's this about, Johnny?" I asked him with a smile.

"I saw you were texting Mac and I don't have a problem but I was wondering what you were discussing." he asked and pulled me up against him.

"It really isn't your business." I shot back at him and he pushed my curls out of my face.

"It is now. Tell me, Stella." Johnny said angrily and he gripped my arms tight.

"He just wanted to see how I was, that he knows I'm pregnant, and he hopes to see me soon." is all I told him and I left out the calling the cops.

"You're sure that's all that you said?" Johnny asked like he knew about calling the cops. "And if you really think you are going to get help from getting out of here, you're out of your mind."

I was busted and I didn't even make it noticeable.

"What are you talking about? I had no intention of sneaking out of here." I said angrily and lied.

"Oh, don't act coy. You could hear anything in this place when the airplanes aren't going over us. How stupid do you think I am? I heard you and saw your text." Johnny yelled at me and threw me on the bed.

"Just…let my family leave and I won't have him come get me…at all." I said with an innocent smile.

"Who said I'd let them go?" Johnny asked with a smirk.

"Uh, you did the other night." I said angrily.

"Oops, I lied." Johnny said with a grin. What a devil!

"You said you would!" I screamed at him.

I had a special plan under my sleeves and it was going underway at the moment. Calista, Eva and Zeth were going to sneak out and run for their lives back to my car with the keys and call Mac. I just hope everything would work out.

"It's going to take a lot of work, you know?" Johnny said romantically and I knew he was lying. He ran his finger up my leg.

I know Mac would regret me doing this but I had to give my family time. They needed time to get out, get to the car and drive to the lab.

I pulled his lips to mine and soon we were making out. I slowly slipped of my clothes and he followed me. Soon we were having sex. I wasn't enjoying it but girls know how to fake in bed. I haven't faked since Frankie. He was pleased and satisfied; that's what I wanted.

-----------

"Come on. Let's go." Calista whispered when they all got out of the building.

"We're coming." Eva and Zeth chimed in together and started running after their daughter. They were so scared for their Stella's life. They were all soaked once they got to the car and their clothes were ripped from climbing through the fence. Zeth jumped in the front seat; Eva was in the passenger seat and Calista was in the back.

"Hold on tight!" Zeth said loudly and they sped off toward the crime lab. They knew exactly where it was. It would only take them minutes to get to the lab at that speed.

-----

"Okay, tell me what you get once you get the results." Mac said with a smile and he walked out of the break room.

"How's it going, Mac?" Hawkes asked Mac with a smile when they were about to run out for coffee across the street.

"I'm fine. I'm just staying calm because I don't need any stress now." Mac said quickly and pushed open the doors.

Soon, they seen 3 frantic people running toward him and he recognized the car. It was Stella's car.

"Are you Mac Taylor?" Eva asked while trying to catch her breath.

"Yes, I am. Is everything okay?" Mac asked and escorted Calista, Eva and Zeth into the lab while Hawkes followed. The rest of the team was standing there shocked.

"No, nothing is okay. We're Stella's family and we made a plan to get out. Stella's still there." Calista said with a smile but let tears flow out. Lindsay held out her arms for a hug and Calista fell into her arms.

"Is she okay?" Mac asked nervously and sat down.

"I don't know. We made a plan just in case something would happen. She wanted us out. She didn't care what would happen to her. Johnny took Stella into another room for a while. We waited for a couple minutes then we got out of there." Zeth said with a frown.

Mac couldn't say anything he was shocked. His eyes were empty and cold. Flack knew he wanted to be alone.

"If you guys could follow me, we can get you showered in the locker rooms and get you some food." Flack said with a smile while they walked away but Calista stayed back.

"Hey.", Calista said with a smile.

"Hey.", Mac replied back but looked down.

"You know she's going to be fine, right?" Calista said happily.

Mac looked up at her. She resembled Stella so much, only the blonde curls and the younger age changed everything.

"I just…I have a feeling that something's going to happen. You know what I mean?" Mac asked Calista and he let a tear slip out. Calista wiped the tear away.

"Yes and don't cry. Stella's going to get out. I know she will. I know, even though I have only known her for about a day." Calista joked and reassured Mac.

"I hope you're right." Mac said with a smile.

"I know I'm right. The Bonasera's never give up.", Calista said with a wink.

"She said she'd call when she was ready for us to come get her. I hope she calls." Mac said happily and he looked to see if he missed any calls. He didn't miss one call.

"Well, you better be waiting. I better get cleaned up before I stink up the place." Calista said with a laugh and Mac followed her. He hoped Stella was fine.

-----

**Stella's POV:**

I fell asleep and I felt Johnny get up. It was going to dawn on him that my family was gone and I was prepared for anything right now. I heard the door open and I closed my eyes shut; so hard that it hurt.

"What the hell? Where are they?" Johnny said angrily out in the other room and threw a chair across the room. I saw him turn toward me and I got up and stood in the corner. I didn't even know why. I stood in my bra and underwear. "You had something to do with this! You are fucking dead, Stella!"

I saw him stamp toward me with clenched fists. I called Mac's cell phone.

_Hello…Stella! _

He heard Johnny and I heard him screaming for help. I left the cell phone on the floor so they could track the location. Johnny got to me and he was pissed. This might be the last time I will live. I could only know that I did the right thing and got my family out of here.


	12. Chapter 12

**AN: I'm sure a lot of my followers were worried about what happened to Stella. Read to find out. ;) It's Chapter 12 already. This fan fiction went so quick. ****J **

**It's Finally Over**

**Stella's POV:**

I had no time to react. Why didn't I try to run? The truth was my feet couldn't move. I have no idea what will happen to me. I could only stand there and close my eyes. Johnny ran toward me and stopped in front of me. I could hear and feel his warm, fast breathing. I opened my eyes slowly.

_**Crack!**_

He decided to slap me in the face. Ow! It hurt really badly. Johnny growled at me and pushed me down onto the bed. I felt so helpless. It reminded me of the time I wish I never had to think about again. That night when Frankie was there but I got myself into this one; the other I couldn't do anything about.

"You are not going anywhere! You hear me?" Johnny screamed at me and slammed the door behind him.

I was trying to find a way out. There had to be some way out of here. Before I could search anymore, Johnny came in with a knife in his hand. I was in big trouble now. I crawled to the top of the bed near the backboard and pressed my back hardly against it.

"It hurts me to have to do this, Stella but, it's for your own good. You understand, right?" Johnny asked with an evil smile.

"Of course I don't! You are one sick kid with a big problem. You have to get over the fact that Frankie is dead!" I screamed at him angrily. His face became sad now and he lowered the knife. "He can't come back and there's nothing you could do about it."

"You shot him! You killed my brother! I can't just forget about that!" Johnny said with tears flowing out of his eyes. I didn't even know this kid had any feeling at all.

"Do you want to know the real story? Do you want to hear my side of the story?" I asked while I sighed. Johnny nodded and dropped the knife on the floor.

"Well, Frankie was a nice guy at first. We both loved art and we had a lot of similarities between us. You know about the sex tape. I had no idea about it. That ticked me off.", I explained with a vivid memory of my past. "I wanted a break and he became clingy. Then I come home and he's in my house. Wouldn't you be scared if someone was in your house?" Johnny nodded while he listened. His eyes were curious and his breaths contained hurt in them.

"He wouldn't let me go and I had no where to escape. The phone was gone and I couldn't get out the door. The only thing that was left was my gun sitting in my purse. I had to shoot him. I didn't want to cause you any pain." I ended my explanation with a smile.

"Well, you did and I can NEVER forgive you!" Johnny became angry again. I could get to the door this time. I ran as fast as I could but I was stopped when he grabbed my arm. I swung around and the knife met my face. It went in deep and I tried to stop the blood. He pushed me down angrily and started kicking me and he punched me in the gut a couple of times. He spit on me and walked away. I writhed in pain for as long as I could remember.

"It's really good that I set a bomb in the place. Look's like you really won't get out after all. Sorry. You have 10 minutes before you meet your doom." Johnny said menacingly and locked me in the room. My body hurt all over. It looks like the end for me.

**Mac's POV: **

"Flack, drive faster!" I screamed at Flack in the passenger side.

"I can't drive any faster. You think if I could I would be?" Flack shot back smartly at me.

Lindsay, Danny and Hawkes sat in cargo area of the car. Eva, Zeth and Calista were in the back.

"Oh god, what if she's not going to make it?" I whispered to myself but Flack caught my words.

"No. Do NOT give up, Mac! She's going to make it. Look we're almost there." Flack said to me as we saw the lights of the airport and we saw an abandoned garage.

Gravel crunched under the tires when the car skidded to a stop. About 10 other cars with armed officers sat behind us. We all hoped out of the car. Zeth, Eva and Calista stood off to the side while Lindsay, Danny, Hawkes, Flack and I stood by the fence with our vests on.

"Someone has to go in.", Danny said in a worried tone. Workers cut down the fence so we could run in easily.

"I think I should go in.", I said bravely. Lights from the cars were our only light.

I was going to go in but someone beat me to it. Calista blew past us and ran toward the building.

"Calista, what the hell are you doing?" I screamed to her while her parents stared at me like I would run after her.

"I'm going to save my sister!" Calista said as she ran toward the warehouse.

My cell phone started ringing and I picked it up. It was from Stella.

"Stella! Are you alright?" I asked with a smile. I kept it on speakerphone so everyone could hear.

"I'm not Stella." I heard Johnny's voice say.

"Where's Stella?" I asked angrily.

"Oh, she's in here but she's not okay. I have a bomb set up to go off in about a minute so I'd get away from here.", Johnny said with an evil laugh at the end. Our hearts sank and we screamed for Calista to get back.

"Calista, there's a bomb set up. Get out of there!" we all screamed together. I saw her running back quicker than she first ran with someone behind her. She didn't hear us. Johnny was chasing after her. Calista jumped into her parent's arms and Johnny tripped on Flack's foot. We cuffed him and pushed him against the car.

"You are a son of a bitch. You are going to pay." I yelled at him while Danny and Hawkes held him there.

"There's about 30 seconds 'til Stella is blew to smithereens.", Johnny joked and I started running toward the building.

"Mac, don't go in there!" Lindsay yelled toward me.

"I have to, Stella's in there." I answered Lindsay and ran toward the building. Stella and I were going to get out no matter what. I got in the building and I didn't see Stella in sight anywhere. Where was she? She must've got out or she wasn't here in the first place. I ran quickly back to everyone with a frown.

----------

**Stella's POV: **

I got out of the building okay and I hid by the fence behind the warehouse. She bomb would never make it back there. I hid in a ball and turned away from the warehouse.

**BOOM! **

The warehouse exploded and I cried in pain. Everything was over. I saw Mac run toward the warehouse and I couldn't yell for him. My voice was too weak to be heard from this far away. Maybe they'd never find me.

-------

**Mac's POV: **

Everyone was sad now; mostly me. My wife, Stella, was gone. Did I walk past her and not even know about it? Her family was crying the loudest and Lindsay buried her head in Danny's chest. The guys couldn't be seen crying because they think they are so strong. I saw them wipe an occasional tear once in a while.

"I'm going to check again. Maybe she made it out." I said with a smile.

"Mac, are you insane? There is no way no one made it out of that." Hawkes said with a frown.

"You never know; it's Stella we're talking about." I said quickly and grabbed a flashlight and searched the perimeter. I made it to the back of the building with a frown. I ran the light over the corners of the fence quickly and I thought I saw something. I ran the light over again slower and saw something. It was Stella.

"Stella!" I screamed at her and sat by her side.

"Mac, is that you?" Stella asked me lightly. She was in pain and was beat.

"Yes, it's me. Everything's fine and we're going to get you out of here." I said quickly and picked her up. She gasped in pain as I must've grabbed a sore spot.

"I got her!" I screamed as everyone smiled. I carried her to the ambulance and laid her down.

"Thank god you are okay, Stella." Eva said with tears still flowing.

"I'm good." Stella replied lightly.

"You are one tough cookie." Calista joked and Stella laughed a bit.

"Yeah, I am. I love you, guys." Stella replied with a smile.

"Take care, my angel." Zeth said with a smile and kissed Stella on the cheek.

Danny, Lindsay, Hawkes and Flack smiled. We were all so relieved that Stella was okay.

"We'd know you'd make it, Stella." Danny told Stella with a smile. Stella tried to nod back. Soon it was just me and Stella riding toward the hospital.

-------

**Stella's POV:**

**I'm so happy Mac found me. I thought I would die there. **

"**I love you, Mac.", I said lightly and I hoped I could be heard over the sirens. **

"**I love you too, Stella." Mac said with a smile and kissed me on the lips. **

"**Did you get Johnny?" I asked while I rested my eyes. **

"**Yes, we did and he's on his way back to the lab for now." Mac replied with a strong smile. **

"**I'm so happy you saved me. I thought you forgot about me this whole time." I replied with a laugh. **

"**Now, why would I forget you? You know I'd do anything for you." Mac told me while he rubbed my hand. **

"**Let's just hope everything is happy for us after this. I can't deal with any more sadness and pain for a very long time." I explained to Mac while he nodded. **

"**I couldn't agree more with you." Mac said while he grasped my hand tight and rested his hand on my stomach. **

"**Can you believe that I'm pregnant? It couldn't have happened at the worst time." I said with a frown. **

"**It's not the worst time. It would've been great if Johnny wasn't around. Now we can live happily and peacefully while he rots in jail." Mac said with a wink. **

"**I had very funny cravings while I was there." I joked with Mac. **

"**I'm sure they were. You are one tough, woman. It makes me love you even more." Mac said honestly and rubbed my stomach. A slight bump was showing already. **

"**You're my hero, Mac.", I said with a huge smile. **

"**I'm glad that I get to be your hero." Mac replied back with another kiss. **

**Life couldn't be better now. Nothing could get in between us now. Johnny would never get out of jail and that made me very happy. I had Mac, my family, my friends and our child and that's all that mattered. **


	13. Chapter 13

**AN: Thanks for all of the reviews. I really appreciate it. Well, it looks like Johnny's dirty work is over. You may see him one more time. ;) Nothing bad is really going to happen anymore. I'm not sure how long I will take the story. Maybe until Stella has the baby. ****J Also, I've been calling Stella's mother, Eva. It's actually Ava. If you read EEA, that's how I started it and I kept mixing her name up the whole story. How silly of me. J Anyway, please review and if you notice I mix something up, just let me know. **

**A Misunderstanding**

I could finally relax now. Everyone was safe. That's all I wanted. Stella was so tired that after she got bandaged up, she fell right asleep. She looked so peaceful. I don't think nightmares would enter her dreams for a very long time. I knew Stella wouldn't be up for a couple of minutes so I decided to walk out and get her a coffee. Stella's family and our friends were waiting to see her. I smiled friendly at them and walked away.

I poured 2 coffees into a cup when I heard a voice speak.

"Hey," I turned around and saw Calista standing by the doorway with a smile. "What did I tell you? The Bonasera's are tough as anything." She added with a wink.

"Hey and I know they are. I've known Stella for more than 10 years." I said with a smile and poured a cup of coffee for her and grabbed it out of my hand.

"Thanks. You really do love her, don't you?" Calista asked me honestly.

"Yes, of course. I always loved Stella from the start. It just took me a couple of years to realize. Why do you ask?" I asked her with a stern look.

"Oh, it's just my blatant curiosity kicking in. I can never be too sure, you know?" Calista asked me and we walked back toward Stella's room.

"Yeah, I get what you're saying. You're a tough kid as well to go into that warehouse alone." I replied to her with a big smile.

"Well, you mean run half-way there and run back because there's a psycho chasing after you, then yes. I am a tough kid. I'd do anything for my family." Calista said proudly and we saw everyone in view.

"I think you would make a perfect cop or CSI even." I added on and she smiled so wide I thought her face would get stuck that way.

"If you're still working there when I get out of college, I want an office as big as yours. I see Stella has one." Calista said with a wink.

"Okay. I'll see what I can do.", I said with a laugh and I walked into Stella's room.

Stella was still sleeping. I set her coffee on the table next to her and sipped on mine considerably.

I saw her open her eyes and I set down my coffee and pulled my chair closer to her.

"Mac.", is all she said with a faint smile.

"You had a nice nap I see." I said slowly and glanced down at my watch.

"How long did I sleep?" Stella asked in a confused voice.

"Well, we got you here about 7 o'clock and it's 9 now, so about…2 to 3 hours." I said with wide eyes.

"Wow. And you stayed here this whole time?" Stella asked me and grabbed my hand.

"Yes, we all did." I said and glanced out of the window where all of our friends sat, not to mention Stella's family.

"I'm so happy that everyone cares for me. Life couldn't be better." Stella said with her eyes getting a watery tint to them.

"Of course we care for you. You've been there for us and now we're there for you. We always will be." I told Stella and she nodded.

"Mac, I got something to tell you and I don't know what you'll think about it all." Stella started to speak and my heart started to beat fast.

----------

**Stella's POV: **

"What is it, Stella? Is everything okay?" Mac asked me in a worried voice. I didn't want him to worry so I should try to say this quickly.

"Well, yesterday night, I got home when Lindsay dropped me off. I heard a knock on the door. It was Johnny. I decided to let him in. I don't know why I did," I started to say and Mac looked puzzled. "He said that he'd let my family go if I kissed him or something and I did and then he just left; maybe it was more of a make-out." I told Mac truthfully and he didn't look happy.

"I got there and a little while after he heard me talking to you and he wouldn't let me go and then he said he wouldn't let my family go either. He said it would take more and…" I couldn't say anymore.

"Stella, what did you do?" Mac asked me angrily and the tone hurt me.

"I…had sex with him." I whispered to him.

He pushed his chair angrily back behind and stormed out of my room. I started breaking out in tears. Everyone was standing outside my room now. I saw Lindsay and Cali walk in.

"Stella, what's going on?" Lindsay asked me and handed me a tissue.

"Johnny was very naughty at the warehouse. He said I had to have sex with him to get my family out." I told them and both of their jaws dropped.

"I don't think Mac took it well and he's probably going to hate me forever." I tried to explain during my gasps and cries.

"Stella, he's not going to hate you. He just doesn't know how to react to this." Lindsay told me and I kind of didn't believe her.

"He probably thought I was cheating on him. We haven't been married for more than a week and he thinks I'm cheating. I would never cheat on Mac," I said with a frown. "I obviously faked it with him…just like I did with Frankie.

"Well, maybe that will change things. If you didn't feel anything toward that, maybe Mac will understand." Cali said with a smile.

"God, I hope so.", I said with a frown and continued to cry.

--------

**Mac's POV: **

I couldn't believe my ears. Stella just told me she had sex with Johnny. I was so disgusted. I saw Danny and Flack chasing after me.

"Mac, what's going on?" Flack asked me with a frown. "I can see Stella's crying in there."

"She told me that she had sex with Johnny just so she could get her family out," I said while I pounded the wall. "I doubt that's really what happened. She probably liked it."

"Mac, you know that's not true." Danny told me while shaking his head.

"How am I supposed to know?" I said asked with a frown.

"Well, if there was anything going on like that between them; like a relationship, she wouldn't have told you about it.", Flack said with a wink while Danny nodded.

"I think you should talk to her.", Danny said with a smile and I started walking away when I saw Lindsay running toward us.

"Wait, Mac!" Lindsay yelled at me.

"What, Lindsay?" I asked her in a not pleased mood.

"Stella told me that she didn't feel anything toward that night and that she faked the whole thing; just like she did with Frankie. You know she would do anything for her family. She would've risked her own life and she almost did. You should be happy that she's here." Lindsay yelled at me.

"You're sure?" I asked her in a still shocked tone.

"Would I lie to you?" Lindsay asked with a wink.

"I guess not. I better talk to her now." I told her with a smile.

"Good boy." I heard her say while I walked away and I laughed.

I walked into the room and saw Calista comforting her. She saw me and walked out with a smile.

I held my arms out and she hugged me.

"I'm sorry I acted that way. I didn't know what to think." I told her truthfully.

"I know. I would've acted the same way; just on a smaller scale." she said with a laugh.

"I know you love me and that you could never love him." I looked into her eyes as I told her.

"Of course I love you. I could never love or even like that piece of scum." Stella said with a smile and we kissed on the lips.

We heard somebody walk in and it was the doctor.

"Is everything okay, doctor?" I asked slowly.

"It's Dr. Pawloski to you," She replied with a wink. "Stella just has a few minor bruises and her arm is sprained a bit. She can leave tonight even."

"What about the baby?" I heard Stella ask and I looked at the doctor. I hoped everything was alright.

"Well, I've found out that you are about a week and a half along and everything is fine with the baby." Dr. Pawloski replied.

We all sighed when he heard the news.

"Thank you. Can we get Stella out of her now?" I asked while I laughed.

"I knew you would ask that. Here are the release forms." she answered me and handed me the papers.

While I was signing the forms, the rest of our friends walked in. They hugged her and kissed her. Everything was so fine with everything now that everything was so clear for me. I haven't been happier in my life. I saw her parents walk up and they started talking to her.

"Thank god you are okay." Ava said with a smile and hugged Stella and so did Zeth.

"I'm fine, really, I am okay." Stella said with a grin.

"Well, we just wanted to tell you that we can't live in New York. We are leaving today." Zeth replied with a frown and Stella grew a bigger frown.

"What? You are just going to leave me just like that after you've been gone for 30 years?" Stella said in a hurt tone.

"We were going to say that we have a house in Pennsylvania and you can visit anytime." Ava said with a smile and Stella smiled again.

"Calista would also like to live with you guys; I know its short notice." Zeth continued and I spoke.

"We have 3 extra rooms. She can definitely live with us. And you can visit anytime as well; just give us a call." I told them with a smile and they came over and hugged and kissed me.

Before we knew it, Stella, Cali and I were driving home. Nothing bad was ever going to happen to any of us again.


	14. Chapter 14

**AN: I hope you people liked the last chapter. Everything is going to be smooth sailing from here. If you have any suggestions, let me know and I may use your idea, because I will not be doing anything fantastic really, I may even skip to where Stella is 8 months pregnant if I do not think of any ideas. ;) Nevertheless, thanks for all of the reviews. Here comes Chapter 14. ****J **

**Home Sweet Home**

**Calista's POV: **

It was past midnight and we were on our way back to the house. I really love Mac. Even though I knew him for a while and even my sister, I know that he is the perfect man for her. You can tell how much they love each other. I couldn't stop smiling when we got to a stoplight and they kissed each other. It was so adorable.

I wasn't used to New York yet but I'm sure I would get accustomed to it eventually. Lindsay even joked around with me about living here.

"_Cali, if I can come from Montana and get adjusted to New York, you can easily do the same.", she said with a hug as we all parted ways. _

One big problem was that I had no clothes to wear. Well, maybe I can borrow some from Stella. We are practically the same size. Maybe I can get Mac to buy me something. I was happy to see our home.

We parked in front of a big apartment complex and my jaw dropped.

"Are you okay, Cali? You face might freeze like that if you hold that any longer." Mac asked me and laughed.

I laughed, "Yeah, very funny, Mac. This place is huge! How can you afford an apartment like this?" I asked in awe as I got out of the car.

"We do make a lot of money, Cali." Stella told me with a grin while Mac held her by the waist as we walked up to Mac's apartment.

I still wonder how I will get along in New York. I mean, I have no friends here.

We made our way to the apartment and Mac opened the door. He turned on the light and my jaw dropped again.

"Oh my god, it's so nice here. Wow." I said with shock as I walked around the perimeter of the room.

"We're glad you like it," Mac said happily and continued. "Your room is the first on the left."

I nodded back while Mac and Stella stood there smiling at me.

The room was so beautiful. The walls stood out in a lilac color. Lilac is one of my favorite colors. It even had a view down onto the streets. It was so magical. I fell down on the bed and smiled. Everything was so perfect. I sat up, opened my eyes and saw Stella smiling at me.

"So, do you like it?" Stella asked me as she took a seat next to me on the bed.

"Yeah, it's really great here. It's even better with you, Stell." I answered her with a laugh.

"That's really good." Stella said as her olive eyes sparkled.

"And, I just want to say I'm sorry. I wasn't really warming up to you in the beginning. I should've been happy you came for us." I said with a frown and Stella pulled me against her.

"No, it's fine and you are forgiven. I probably would have acted the same way though. I'm really happy to have you here." Stella said as she rubbed my back.

"I'm happy to be here. You are one awesome big sister." I said with a smirk.

"You are one cute, kick ass little sister," Stella replied and pushed my curls back. "Mac's making dinner so I'll get you when I'm ready. You need your rest."

"Oh, he cooks too?" I joked around with Stella. "I'm going to sleep for a bit. It looks like you need your rest too."

"Oh, I'm not tired. Have a nice sleep." Stella told me and I kicked my shoes off.

"Thank you." I said as I pulled the covers back and fell asleep with a smile on my face.

-----------

**Stella's POV:**

**I shut the door and I came out with a smile on my face. Mac looked back at me and nodded his head. **

"**So, she likes it here?" Mac asked me while I leaned on the counter. **

"**Yeah, of course she does. She says it's even better with me here." I answered him and as I inhaled the aroma of tonight's dinner. Mm, chicken parmesan tastes really good. **

**Mac replied in a cute voice, "Aww. Calista has a very good potential at being a CSI. She really does." **

"**I know she does. I guess it runs in the family I guess." I spoke and winked at him. I walked over to the couch and collapsed down with a sigh. **

"**You should rest." Mac said quickly and covered me with a blanket. **

"**Actually, I think I should take a shower. I probably smell terrible." I said honestly and I started walking toward the bathroom.**

"**Stella, do you need some help? I mean, your arm still does hurt. I don't want you to try to strain your arm when you try to wash your hair." Mac said with a smile. **

"**Okay. You can help me. Wouldn't that mean you would have to come in with me?" I asked blatantly and Mac nodded.**

"**Yes, that's exactly what it means." Mac told me while I was in the bedroom getting my clothes for work tomorrow and I got out clean clothes. Mac did the same and got out clean boxers and a white t-shirt. **

**I was about to walk into the bathroom when I saw Mac knock on Calista's door. **

"**Cali, we're getting in the shower." Mac told her and I laughed at him.**

"**Okay, I'll be in here," Calista started to say but noticed something. "What do you mean, 'we're'?"**

"**Stella needs help. I don't want her to strain her arm, okay?" Mac admitted and Cali didn't believe it.**

"**Oh, I know what you guys are going to do in there. I'm not stupid." Cali replied back. **

"**No, really, I'm helping her, although I need a good shower as well. Why run 2 showers when you can take 1?" Mac asked her with a wink.**

"**Okay, okay. Just don't be loud, okay? I need my sleep too you know?" I heard Calista say as she closed her door and Mac walked into the bathroom. I adjusted the water to a good temperature and stepped in. Mac soon followed. **

**Mac massaged my head gently while he cleaned my hair. When he started cleaning my back, shivers went down my spine. He kept going lower and I was getting turned on. He cleaned the front of me and it felt so good. He went to put the soap back but I stopped him.**

"**It's my turn, detective." I told him with a smirk. **

**I pushed him up against the wall and I started cleaning his chest. He smiled at me and did exactly what he had done to me. I stood up again and I put the soap down. **

**He started to kiss me and I pulled him close to me. It got really passionate, even more passionate than the last time we took a shower together. **

**We slid down the wall and soon we were lying on the floor of the shower. I couldn't believe we were doing it in the shower. **

"**Oh…Mac.", I said while I let out a few groans. **

"**Cali was…right." Mac admitted and he groaned as well. **

**A couple minutes later, I tried to reach the nozzle of the shower to turn it off while Mac bit at my neck and it felt good. **

**We forgot about one thing. We totally forgot about the food cooking in the kitchen. **

"**Mac, we forgot about the food." I said nervously and we both ran out of the bathroom. We made it to the kitchen and we saw Calista standing there. **

"**Do you two enjoy yourselves?" she asked us and we nodded. "Well, you are really lucky I wasn't sleeping and that I know how to cook too." **

"**We're sorry, Cali. We got a little carried away." I said with a frown although I did enjoy our moment in the shower.**

"**Ah, it's okay. You can get dressed now." Cali told us as she took the chicken parmesan out of the oven and set it on the counter. **

**We got dressed in silence and we made it back into the kitchen. Everything was set up perfectly. Calista was sitting down with a smile on her face. **

"**Cali, you didn't have to set up for us." I spoke thankfully but she shook her head.**

"**No, it's the least I can do and I would do anything for you two." Calista said happily as we both sat down. **

**We chatted while we ate our delicious dinner. We would probably get called in early tomorrow for work so Mac and I had a wonderful idea. **

"**Cali, are you going to be busy tomorrow?" Mac asked her while he took a sip of his wine. Cali had Pepsi and I had water. **

"**No, why would I be? I'll probably just sit here on my laptop and watch TV all day." Calista laughed and leaned back in her chair. **

"**Well, I think we may have something better for you to do. If you would like to, you can come watch how a CSI works." I told her with a smile.**

"**Wait, you mean come to work with you guys?" Calista asked with a smirk.**

"**Yes. You said you wanted to be a CSI so this is a great opportunity for you." Mac said nicely as he put our dishes into the sink. **

"**Thank you so much!" Calista screamed happily. Her reaction was so unexpected and it scared me for a moment. She ran over and kissed me and kissed Mac too. **

"**You're welcome. We can end up going at any time if we get called in so you better get some rest." I told her truthfully and she nodded excitedly. She went in the shower and soon she was in her room. **

**Mac and I walked to our bedroom hand in hand. **

"**She looks so happy." I said happily and we cuddled under the covers. **

"**I know she's going to enjoy it but it's going to be tough for her on her first day even though she isn't exactly a CSI." Mac told me and he pulled me close. **

"**Well, she's a tough kid. I'm sure she can handle it but who knows what can happen. So, what's going to happen to Johnny?" I asked with a frown. **

"**Well, he's being held at the lab for now and tomorrow we'll have to talk to him when we get there. He is going to go to jail though." Mac told me and I smiled.**

"**That's all I care about. I want him away forever." I said with a sigh and Mac put his hand on my stomach again. **

"**Well, he will definitely be away forever. I can promise you that, Stell." Mac told me and I believed him.**

"**I love you, Mac. Please, promise you'll never leave me no matter what may happen to us. I can't live without you." I said while I almost started to cry but I controlled my feelings. **

"**I promise, Stell. I'll be here for you forever. I love you, too." Mac told me and we smiled as we fell asleep in each other's arms. This has been the most peaceful night I've had in a very long time. **


	15. Chapter 15

**I do not own CSI: NY, like I've said before, I only own: Johnny, Ava, Calista and Zeth and obviously the story idea. ****J **

**AN: So, Calista is going to go to a crime scene in this chapter. Read to see what happens. ;) Can I please have more reviews? J And thanks to those who read and may not review and especially sucker-4-Smacked and Lily Moonlight. J I'll hopefully see more reviews when the story is over. J **

**First Time On The Job**

Mac and Stella were still holding on to each other when a certain vibration was heard in the distance. Mac tried to release Stella's grasp while she groaned and pulled him back for a kiss and then let him retrieve his cell phone. He sighed with a smile and read the text.

"Do we have to go?" Stella asked Mac while she put a pillow over her head.

"Yes, Flack and Danny want us to meet them at a crime scene. We have to leave now if we want to get there early." Mac said with a smile and Stella pulled the covers over her. Mac snuck up and poked her sides and she squealed.

"Okay, I'll get up.", Stella said with a pout and she started getting dressed into her work clothes. Mac did the same and soon they had to get Cali up.

Stella peaked in the room and Cali was asleep peacefully. There was an alarm clock on a table near her beside. She walked slowly and silently toward it and turned the alarm on.

_Ding, ding, ding. _

**Calista's POV:**

I was having a wonderful dream about my celebrity crush, Leonardo DiCaprio when all of a sudden. My eyes flew open when an alarm went off. I let out a shriek and pulled the covers over my head.

"Wake up sleepy head." Stella told me while she saw my shocked face.

"You know, maybe I didn't want to? Leo DiCaprio, the sexy man he is, was about to kiss me and you interrupted the big moment. Oh, how I wish I was Kate Winslet.", I told her with a smile and kicked the covers off of me.

"Well, I'm sorry but did you forget what today is?" Stella asked me and I couldn't think of anything.

"It's Thursday, May 21st, right?" I asked her even though I was certain that was the date. That's exactly what the calendar said too. What could I be forgetting?

"Yes, but you're missing something." Stella told me and Mac peaked in the door.

"Are you girls ready to go? We're gonna be late.", when Mac said that with a loving smile, I knew what I was missing.

"I go to the crime scene today, don't I?" I asked with a big smile while I made my bed. I looked up briefly. I saw Stella smile back at Mac and she nodded back.

"Oh my god, I totally forgot. Holy crap! I have to get ready.", when I said that, Stella walked out of the room but I followed her and she looked confused.

"I need clothes; can I wear something of yours?" I asked with a grin.

"I put some of my clothes in your room. I'm sure you'll love them. They'll fit too." Stella told me while she and Mac made coffee.

"Okay. Thanks." I said as I made my way into my room again. I sighed and I got undressed. I saw a cute polo and dark blue jeans. They fit perfectly and I just needed shoes. It was a weird place to put them but there were shoes in the bottom drawer of the dresser and they were high heels.

"Oh, no..." I said to myself and slipped the high heels on. I never had experience with high heels but I really hoped that I wouldn't fall in front of anyone. I went into Stella's room and she had my favorite perfume too. It was Chance by Chanel. It was really sexy smelling and that's why I bought it in the first place when I was back in Greece. Stella and Mac smiled when I walked out.

"Aw, Mac, doesn't she look like a CSI already?" Stella asked Mac and he nodded. I couldn't help but smile too.

"Yes, she does. Do you want coffee before we go, Cali?" Mac asked me while they both put their guns into their holsters.

"No, I don't like coffee. It's gross and it makes your teeth yellow." I said with a laugh.

"Okay, then we better go." Stella said while we walked out of the apartment.

I had a weird feeling about today. I wonder how I would react to a body. All of this I thought about as we drove to the crime scene. It really didn't matter to me because this would help me for my future. I still hoped it would still be my dream job after the day was over.

We pulled up to a house in the woods. It looked like it was a nice and peaceful house to live in but it was so far away from anyone. I saw Danny and Flack in the distance. There were other cars and people walking in and out of the house.

We got out of the car and I walked slower than Mac and Stella. I was being cautious. I really don't know why. Mac handed me a set of handcuffs in the car. I wasn't sure of that either. I'm sure I couldn't make any arrests yet.

I leaned against the car and looked up at the sky. The sun came out from behind a cloud and it blinded me. Flack looked annoyed that I came but it wasn't my idea in the first place. I could even wait in the car if I had to. I saw a young girl my age crying in an older man's arms. I was guessing that was her father. Stella called me over and we were soon walking into the house. Stella and Mac were already in and I hesitated at the door.

"It's okay, Cali. Trust me, you'll be fine." Stella told me and I followed her in. The pictures on the wall caught my eye. They were professionally done and they were beautiful. It was a woman; probably the mother and the two people I saw outside were in the pictures. Mac and Stella let me stand there for a minute. Flack and Danny gave me a cute smile when they walked in the door. I followed them and soon I saw the dead body.

My stomach stirred for a moment and Stella looked cautiously at me when I closed my eyes. I think it was too much for a crime scene; at least for your first time.

"Cali, are you okay?" Stella asked me while she slipped on her gloves.

"I just need a second." I told her and she frowned.

I heard her whisper to Mac.

"Maybe this wasn't a good idea after all, Mac.", I heard her say and I got annoyed.

"It was a very good idea, Stella. It's my first time seeing a dead body. How did you guys react? Probably the same, right?" I only directed my question to Mac and Stella but Danny and Flack nodded with them.

"See, I'll be fine. Can I see a pair of gloves?" I asked quickly and I tried not to look at the woman.

"You can't really investigate, Cali." Danny told me and I obviously know that.

"Yes, I know, but if I see something that you may have missed I can show you it to you all. No offense but I am younger and I may spot something you guys may miss the first time around." I said with a wink while Flack handed me the gloves. It was good that they weren't offended by my comment.

"Okay. Do we have any information on the victim?" Mac asked while Stella took pictures.

"Yes, we do. Hmm, let's see. The victim is 40 year old, Tracey Garner. Her daughter, Melissa got home from school and saw her like this. She called the police after taking her pulse and then called her father. They're both outside." Flack said with a half frown.

"It looks like she took quite a beating." I said with a sigh as I noticed the black bruises on her face.

"Yes, she was also stabbed too and I'm pretty sure that's the C.O.D but you never know until Sid says for sure." Flack told me with a wink and I saw the big puddle of blood.

"So, we need to find a weapon? I'll be right back." I told everyone as they nodded back. One thing I hoped wouldn't happen did happen.

My left heel got stuck in a hole in the floor and I fell down hard. It took my breath away.

"Are you okay?!" Stella said quickly and tried to help me up but I stopped her.

"Yes but wait." I said slowly and I noticed something under a table. There was a fabric over the table so you could easily hide something over it. Soon, Mac, Danny and Flack and Stella were watching me. I lifted it up and saw a bottle of bleach. It was opened and empty. The lid fell off of it as well.

I stood up and handed the bottle to Stella.

"Wow, nice work Cali. Maybe Tracey wasn't just stabbed and beaten after all. She was poisoned." Mac said with a half smile.

I felt very proud of myself.

"Do you want to do the honors?" Flack asked me and he handed an evidence bag to me. I dropped the bottle in the bag and sealed it up and handed it back to him.

I looked in the kitchen, which is where I was going to go originally and looked around. I saw them move out the body and I frowned. I looked at a knife holder and saw a knife missing. I saw Stella and called for her help.

"I think there may be prints on this holder because there's a knife missing and it's not in sight." I told her while she dusted them for prints.

"There's prints on every one of the knifes but lets just hope it's someone who doesn't live here," Stella said happily and patted me on the back. "So, is it what you expected it to be?"

"No, it was different than I expected but I still want to be a CSI. I guess I did pretty well for my first time." I said with a big smile.

"Yes, you did. We're about to leave so we can head out." Stella said thankfully and was about to walk away.

"Wait, I'm going to go out the back. Maybe someone is out here." I told her but she disagreed with me.

"It was secure when we got here. I don't think there's a need to." Stella told me but I didn't want to argue.

"It won't hurt, Stella. I have nothing else to do anyway. I'll meet you in the front, okay?" I asked her in a semi-annoyed tone and she nodded back.

The back of the yard was very nice. The whole house was outlined by trees and it had that little private feel. If you had to kill anyone, in private is always the best. I was walking on the outside of the woods; almost in them when I noticed something under a pile of leaves. It seemed really early to start raking leaves in May; really, really early. Leaves don't fall almost until late September. I pushed the pile over and I was shocked to see what I discovered; but not too shocked.

A knife; with blood covering most of it. It was the missing knife from the kitchen; the murder weapon. I had to get this back to Stella and Mac. I heard a crunch in the closet like someone was there. I looked around and saw a figure in a black hooded sweatshirt; which is very odd in May, it's not even cold and black pants; he was running out of the woods. I had to stop him. I'm sure someone could stop him before he could get away but I had to do it this time. I was really hoping my feet wouldn't fail me this time.

"Get back here!" I screamed at the top of my lungs and I heard Stella scream my name.

I pushed myself closer and closer to him. We were about 2 feet apart and we were in sight of investigators and cops. I remembered Mac gave me a pair of handcuffs. I took them out from my pocket while running at the same pace and while holding the knife too and opened them. We were already running up the dirt and gravel driveway and we were about to hit a highway. I couldn't let him get away. I heard Stella and the team in the distance but I couldn't look back; it was time to fend for myself.

I jumped; caught his arms and we both slammed on the ground. We barely missed the cars speeding by on the road. I sat on him and put the cuffs around his hands.

"You think you could get away from me? Well, you are stupid to think that you could get away from a Bonasera." I screamed at him while he snarled at me. I had him by the arms and he kicked me in the leg. It hurt but not as much as the fall in the house.

"God, are you okay?" Stella asked me while she caught up to me and an officer took the suspect; maybe murderer by the arms and took him to a car.

"Yes, I found the murder weapon and maybe the murderer." I said while I caught my breath and Stella hugged me tightly and she took the knife from my hand.

"Please, don't scare me like that again, okay? You could've been killed." Stella kind of yelled at me.

"I can fight on my own. I don't need my big sister helping." I said with a wink. She shook her head and we all walked back to the house with smiles on our faces. Mac, Danny and Flack thanked me and I think I did a very great job for my first time as a CSI. I could really be good at this job.


	16. Chapter 16

AN: Thanks for the reviews. As you can all see, Cali did very well for her first time at a crime scene, although she isn't a CSI. Stella's going to encounter Johnny again and we'll find out if the guy Cali found murdered Tracey. J Here's chapter 16.

Questions Are Answered

Stella's POV:

**The car ride back to the lab was silent. I let a frown appear as I leaned back into the seat. Cali was a great help today but I hate that she didn't let us know about the man that tried to run away; she could've been killed or we could've been killed also. **

**I guess she didn't know any better and she wanted to make me proud. I just wish she would've thought about what she was doing first; I know she acted on her instinct and I got to respect that. I just don't want anything to happen to her; I don't want anything to happen to any of us ever again; once is enough, at least in their case, not mine. **

**As much as I know she wants to, I can't let her come to a crime scene ever again; she's not even supposed to be there in the first place. I looked in the rearview mirror and I saw Cali with a proud smile while she played with her fingers. I sighed and Mac noticed. I smiled at him and crossed my arms. My pocket vibrated and I pulled out my cell phone. **

"**Hello, Bonasera." I muttered in a bored tone. It was Sid and he wanted us to be at the morgue A.S.A.P. "We're already on our way. We'll be there in a few minutes. Bye."**

**Mac looked concerned and I let him know it was alright. **

"**That was Sid and he wants us to be in the morgue as soon as possible." I told him while Cali leaned closer to hear details. I looked at her quickly and stopped talking about the subject. **

**Cali got annoyed and grew a frown upon her face. I didn't want to get her upset but she shouldn't really even know the details. **

**We pulled into the garage and we walked into the morgue. Sid looked confused when Cali walked in with us. **

"**Hey, Sid, um, I know you're probably wondering why Cali is here…," I started with a smile and he nodded kindly. "Well, she went to the crime scene with us to take it all in because I'm sure you know she wants to be a CSI too."**

"**You do, really? I didn't even know that until know. That's really good," Sid commented with a big smile and Cali nodded proudly. "So, she just watched you guys work?"**

**I didn't really want to speak now. I didn't think Sid would get mad. **

"**She actually found some key evidence of the case. She was tremendous!" Mac told Sid with a big smile and patted her on the back. Sid looked confused again. **

"**You know she isn't a CSI and shouldn't be colleting evidence, right? If anyone ever found out, you could be in big trouble, Cali," Sid told her sternly but still in a nice way. Cali's eyes widened and she took a few steps back. "It's fine, Cali. I got your secret; I won't tell."**

"**So, what's the cause of death?" I asked happily as we walked over to the body. **

"**Well, it looks like Tracey Garner and the stab wound did kill her but it looks to me like the bleach was poured down her throat after she was stabbed," Sid told us with a frown. "The beating didn't help either."**

**I saw Cali was staring at her and she closed her eyes quickly as if she was trying to hold tears back. She looked up at me and looked away. **

"**Where is the man that was fleeing the crime scene?" Cali asked with a surge of anger. Her left hand slowly became a fist. **

"**I think he's in interrogation actually. Danny and Flack are waiting for you both." Sid answered Cali's question while looking at us. We nodded and left the room. **

**I stayed in the room next door while Mac and Flack went into interrogation. Cali leaned against the wall while she watched the man's actions. Lindsay walked in and Cali's mood brightened. Cali held out her arms and Lindsay hugged her tightly. **

"**Are you okay, Cali? You look sad," Lindsay told Cali while she held a file of evidence in her hand. Cali shook her head and looked away from her. "Well, there were prints on the bottle of bleach and the knife as well and they belong to this man; his name is Richard Brand."**

**I shook my head and I heard Cali growl under her breath. **

"**Thank you, Lindsay." I said thankfully and I noticed the Tracey's husband, Gary and their 15 year old daughter, Melissa walked up came into the room. **

**The window was now crowded when Gary and Melissa decided to walk up. Calista looked at her and Melissa looked at her and shook her head. **

"**Oh my god, that's my father!" Melissa exclaimed and backed away. We all looked very shocked. **

"**What are you talking about?" Danny asked in a confused tone and Melissa looked at her father again; her real father. **

"**He's my real father; Richard is. He left…divorced my mom about 6 years ago. It was a very sad day," Melissa explained with hurt eyes; she looked toward me and her eyes were glossy and shiny, almost like she was going to cry. "My mom met Gary 4 years ago and they got married a year after they met. Everything has been great…until now."**

**Melissa spoke and started to cry. She turned to her father, who was crying as well, and buried her face in his chest. **

"**Did Richard just show up to your home unexpectedly before?" Lindsay asked patiently and breathed deeply. She felt so bad for this family. **

"**No. Well, except for Mel's birthday party last year. He didn't even call, he just showed up. He wanted Melissa to live with him. We all agreed that it was no but that made Richie very angry. He stormed out and he never came back again." Gary explained with a frown upon his face and he rubbed his daughter's back. **

"**Maybe Richie came back to see if the answer was different this time. I think he got his answer." I said and shook my head sadly. **

**I decided to join Mac and Flack in interrogation so I went in. I asked for the evidence Lindsay was holding and thanked her. Cali was about to follow and I put my hand out. **

"**I'm sorry, Cali, but you can't come in.", I said to her in an annoyed tone. She backed off and went back in the room. **

**I walked in the room with the file. Richie was staring at my butt. **

"**Ooh, who's that sexy lady?" I heard Richie say and I was furious. **

"**That's my wife you smart ass!" Mac yelled at him and I calmed him down. **

**I took a seat in front of him while Flack stood behind him and Mac stood beside me. **

"**So, Richie, what were you doing at your ex wife's house?" I asked patiently and watched his eye movements. He rolled his eyes at me; probably because that was the 3rd**** time he got asked that. **

"**I wanted to see if Mel was home." he told me with a wink. **

"**Are you sure that's all?" I asked with a devilish smile. **

"**Of course that's all. I wanted to see if Mel wanted to go shopping and she was still at school. I should've known that. I didn't really get to give her a present for her birthday so I thought a shopping spree would've made up for my actions the last time I visited her.", Richie admitted with a smile. **

"**Did Tracey allow that shopping spree to occur?" Mac asked as he circled the table. **

"**I begged her to let Mel come; it wouldn't hurt and she never got to spend time with me anyway and I thought Mel would love to spend time with her dad." he answered Mac and leaned back in his chair. **

"**What time were you at Tracey's house yesterday?" Flack asked and stood right next to Richie. **

"**Hmm, let's see I got there around 1:30 and left around 1:45. The answer was no so I decided to leave…" Richie started to say but I interrupted him**

"…**because you murdered Tracey, perhaps?" I asked in an angry tone. His jaw dropped. **

"**No! I was really uncomfortable spending time with Mel while Tracey was watching me. That's the only reason I divorced her. I'd go out and try to hang out with my friend's and she'd always say, 'are you cheating on me?' Why the hell would I cheat on her? It's outrageous!" Richard said in an angry tone now. **

"**Okay, let's get down to the point. Your prints were on a bottle of bleach and your prints were on a bloody knife and you were seen fleeing the crime scene. We know you killed Tracey, Richard." I said in an annoyed tone and slammed the evidence down in front of him. **

"**Okay! I killed her! She was corrupting my baby girl into hating me; she was creating a clone of herself and I was sick of it. I couldn't spend any time with that daughter. How would you feel? You'd feel pretty useless, huh? Well that's what I felt." Richard pounded the desk and got emotional. The cops took him away and I sighed. Mac and I hugged each other and kissed. We walked out holding hands. **

**Everyone was standing out of the other room now. Richie was walking by his daughter and held out his arms. She shook her head and walked away from him. She walked past me and I saw Cali run after her. **

**Calista's POV:**

I caught up to Melissa and I sat down next to her.

"Hey, are you okay?" I asked her and held out my arms to comfort her. She accepted my hug and sobbed a little before pulling away and she wiped some of her tears away.

"No, of course I'm not. My father just killed my mother. Do you know how bad I feel?" Mel looked into my eyes and I felt her misery.

"Yes, I do actually. Your dad cared about you and he thought your mom had a bad influence on you. I don't think he planned that. It's going to be fine; I promise. I'm sure Gary's a better father than he ever was." I told her and she nodded.

"Yeah, he's better but I loved my _real too. I can't believe I lost half of my family." Mel told me with a frown. _

"_It's going to be fine. I thought I was going to lose all of my family once; about a few days ago actually. This guy Johnny was stalking my sister, Stella. You know the one with the curly brown hair?" I asked and she nodded back. "Well, she had to shoot her boyfriend a few years ago, Frankie was Johnny's brother. He didn't know the whole story and decided to kidnap us to lure Stella to him. He tried to blow her up but he was unsuccessful. I thought we were all going to die." I continued and I sighed sadly. _

"_That's so sad. I'm glad everything's okay. I guess I'll manage with my life but I just can't imagine my life without my mom." Mel said after me and I agreed with her. _

"_Well, yeah, but you got to be grateful for what you have now. Be thankful that your step-dad is around." I told Mel and she smiled. _

"_Thank you for the advice…what is your name? I'm sorry." Mel laughed and smiled. _

"_It's Calista but call me Cali." I laughed also and we exchanged numbers. _

"_So, is that guy in jail; Johnny I mean?" Mel asked and pushed her long, brown hair out of her face. _

"_I don't think so. I haven't seen him for days; that's a good thing. I wish I don't see his crappy face ever again." I joked and we laughed together. _

_Mel was the only girl that understood me and we grew a bond together. We were practically best friends now. It was all good until I felt a weird feeling come over me; like someone was coming, someone I didn't like. _

_I looked to my left down the hall and saw Johnny running this way. Cops chased after him and he was after me; and even Stella and she was down the hall and didn't even know he was coming. _

"_That's him, Mel! We got to get out of here! Go!" I screamed at her and we both ran up the hall. We ran Stella, Mac, Danny, Flack, Lindsay and Mel's dad. _

"_What's wrong, Cali?!" Stella asked with a shocked face. _

"_It's Johnny! He's loose and he's after us.", as soon as I said that he sped around the corner. _

"_Mac, watch out!" Stella screamed and hid behind him. I had to do something. I knew he wasn't after me. There was a chair in the hall. I threw it into his path and he tripped and landed on his face. I smiled in victory. The cops got him and held him tightly. _

"_You are an annoying kid. I was just coming to ask what my sentence was…maybe not even go to jail." Johnny asked in a smart tone. _

"_Hey buddy, you killed an innocent woman, held 3 people hostage and threatened our team; especially Mac and Stella, numerous times." Lindsay yelled at him angrily. I was impressed. _

_An expert that already knew about the case walked up behind us all and stated the sentence. _

"_You will have 40 years to life in jail." is all the man said and he walked away. We all had a sigh of relief. _

"_What? No! I can't believe this! I hate you all! I hope you all die tragically!" Johnny yelled as the cops pulled him away. _

_We all walked away smiling; mostly Stella, Mac and I. We now knew nothing would get in between us and Johnny would never get out of jail. _

_Gary and Mel had to leave but I had her number so we can talk. _

_Mac, Stella and I were riding back home with smiles on our faces._

"_It looks like I did pretty good today, didn't I?" I spoke out over the radio and Mac turned it down. _

"_Yes, you did, Cali. You were great. As long as you know you can't investigate again." Stella said as she turned her head to speak to me. _

"_I know. I still want to do this. I can be just like my sister." I said proudly and closed my eyes. _

_I dreamt of the day when I would become a CSI and it was fabulous. _


	17. Chapter 17

**Disclaimer: Once again, I do not own anything of CSI: NY or any of its characters. You guys already know who and what I own. At least I hope so. ;) **

**AN: I'm going to fast-forward the story a couple of months and I'll flashback to where Stella learns if she's going to have a girl or boy. ****J I also give Lindsay a point of view in this chapter. J I really hope I do this right too. I may have waited to long for Stella to have a sonogram but I'm not a pregnancy expert and I tried the best I could. ;) **

**The Big Reveal**

**7 Months Later**

It was December 18th. It was a very cold and bitter morning. Though the heat was on in her car and her huge and warm coat, Stella Bonasera still couldn't stop shivering. Today would be a very fun day for her; Lindsay, Calista and Melissa were going to help her pick out baby clothes while the guys were helping set up the nursery; everyone but Stella knew about it.

**Lindsay's POV:**

Stella and I were silent in the front of the car while Cali and Mel were talking nonstop about what they would do this evening; they were having a sleepover and it wasn't their first, it was their 30th sleepover to be exact. I would know this because Mel would tell me EVERYTHING that happened and I didn't mind at all. They are the best of friends now and it makes me happy to see that Cali has someone her age to hang out with and they had many things in common too; like how they both love Twilight and they both love Bon Jovi, but that wasn't all of course.

I couldn't keep my eyes off Stella as she kept shivering although the heat was on high and she had her humongous faux fur coat on.

"Stella, are you alright? You've been shivering for a while now." I asked in an uneasy feeling. She smiled at me and looked away quickly.

"I'm fine, aren't you cold with that small coat on?" Stella retorted back at me. I thought my coat was fine.

"No, I'm not. I really don't even think you should be out in this weather. You're going to catch pneumonia, Stella!" I scolded at her and I noticed we were at the store. Once they heard the argument, Mel and Cali stopped their chit-chatting.

"Stop yelling at me, Linds, god!" Stella exclaimed and started crying.

"Aw, don't cry, Stella. I'm just worried about you. You're my best friend. I don't want anything to happen to you or the baby." I reassured her with a comforting smile and rubbed her shoulders.

"Yeah, I understand," Stella started to explain while she wiped her tears away. "I'm just not used to this weather yet and my hormones are crazy. I'm sorry you got caught in the heavy artillery fire of my hormones." Stella joked and smiled widely.

"Don't worry, we'll be fine, I don't want to even remember what I may have said to you when I was hormonal. We better get inside and get some adorable clothes for the baby." I said happily and pointed to Stella's very big stomach.

We made into the store and it was much, much warmer in the store than it was in the car. All of us took off our coats and started our shopping spree that little baby.

**Stella's POV:**

This store was heaven for an expectant mother. I wanted to buy EVERYTHING. I wonder if Mac would've let me buy out the whole store; yeah, I don't think it would happen.

"Wow, look at this place, Linds. How did you not buy the whole store when you were pregnant with Lucy?" I asked in a soft voice while I marveled over the assortment of clothes.

"I had a lot of self-control. Danny really had to hold me back from pulling everything off the shelves like a little girl." Lindsay answered me with a laugh and I laughed like a little girl.

"Could Danny hold you back?" I had to ask for an extra laugh.

"Well, most of the time he could but one time I beat him and he fell right on his butt." Lindsay explained and we all burst out laughing.

"So, Stella, where are you going to start?" Mel asked me and I looked around with a smile.

"How about there?" I pointed to a section and we headed over to the shelves.

_____________________________________________________________________________________

**4 Months Ago-**

**Mac's POV: **

I could tell Stella was really nervous. I had to calm her down.

"Stell, are you okay?" I asked patiently and smiled at her. She looked me in the eyes and sighed.

"Yeah, I'm fine. I'm just nervous. I hope everything is fine still." Stella admitted and it made me sad.

"Stella, the doctor said everything was fine a couple weeks ago. The baby's fine. I know it.", I told her while I held her hand tightly.

"I hope you're right. What do you think we'll have?" Stella asked with a huge smile.

"I don't know, what do you think?" I asked her while we pulled into the parking lot of the doctor's office.

"I think it's going to be a girl. I have a perfect name if it is.", Stella answered with a wink.

"I think it's going to be a boy. I have a good name as well. How about we make a deal?" I asked and she looked up in surprise.

"What kind of deal, Mac?" Stella asked curiously; her desirable emerald eyes locked with mine.

"Well, if we both a great idea of a name, if it's a boy, I choose, if it's a girl, you choose. I'm sure we'll have one of both down the road anyway." I explained happily and winked at her.

"Oh, I know this won't be our last baby. I can at least see one more down the road for us." Stella said blissfully and unbuckled her seat belt carefully. I helped her get out of the car and we kissed each other gently and we walked to the building with our hands twined together.

"I can see two more little babies." I told her and pulled her close to me. She just smiled at me.

Stella was sitting on the table while they rubbed the gel on her stomach. She gripped my hand tightly and looked at me nervously. I kissed her on the lips and her grip lightened.

"Okay, Stella, let's see what we got here." Dr. Meyers stated and we looked at the screen.

"What do we have, Patti?" Stella asked happily.

"I can say now that you guys are going to have a girl." Patti told us as she printed out a picture. We screamed and hugged each other ecstatically.

The whole ride home we talked about our baby girl, clothes, the nursery; everything that we could possibly talk about and we enjoyed every minute of it.

_____________________________________________________________________________________

**Stella's POV:**

"I have to call my parents. They're going to be so happy!" I exclaimed and he smiled happily.

"You can call them now if you want." Mac told me as we pulled up in front of the apartment.

"Well, I think I should wait. I want to see what Cali's reaction is.", I said quickly and we rode the elevator to our floor. We knocked and Cali let us in.

"What is it, Stella? Am I going to have a niece or a nephew?" Cali asked in an excited tone.

"You are going to have…" I paused to annoy her in a good way of course.

"Tell me!" Cali came close to me and grabbed my arms.

"You're going to have a little niece!" I exclaimed and Lucy started jumping up and down happily.

"Yay, I'm so happy. Do you have the picture?" Cali asked and I handed it to her. Cali gushed over our little girl and Mac and I blushed.

"We gotta call mom and dad!" Cali grabbed the phone; put it on speaker and we waited for them to pick up.

"_Hello.", _Ava asked in a tired tone. We must've called early.

"Hi mom, it's Cali, Stella and Mac.", Cali told her in a happy voice.

"_Hey, sweetheart, how are you all today?" _Ava asked us joyfully.

"We're really great and you're on speaker. We just got the results. I'm sure you want to know if you will have a grandson or granddaughter." I told her this time and I got closer to the phone.

"You got the results? What are you having?" Ava asked impatiently.

"We're having a girl!" I yelled and I heard my mom screaming happily. I laughed in return while Mac held me around the waist. I heard my father run into the room and ask what was wrong. Once he found out, he started hooting and hollering as well.

"Congratulations from us both, Stella! I can't wait to see the addition to our family!" Zeth stated in an excited tone. "Do you know when you're due?"

"My doctor said around January 15th but it could be a couple days earlier." I said and I yawned and chills went down my back.

"That's good and I'm guessing you'll have a baby shower too, right?" my dad asked me and I nodded to everyone in the room.

"Yes, probably at the end of December. You are both invited!" I exclaimed and Mac pulled me onto the couch with him.

"That's great to hear. Well, we better get going and you seem tired so we'll let you go. Call us soon, okay?" Ava asked and I told her I will.

"Yes, I will. Bye. I love you both!" I said with a tear rolling down my face. Mac and Cali said their goodbyes after me.

"We love you too! Bye!" they chimed in at the same time and Cali hung up the phone.

"Why are you crying, Stella?" Cali asked and smiled at her.

"I'm so happy I have you guys now." I admitted and Stella hugged me and Mac.

"I feel the same way about you both as well." Cali told us and that made me happier.

_____________________________________________________________________________________

**Back to the Present**

**Stella's POV:**

"These pajamas are adorable! You should get them." Cali showed them to me. Mel added, "You HAVE to get them!" I could see our baby in them and I said yes.

"I wonder when we'll get the nursery done. We ordered the furniture. I wonder when it will be coming. I think we waited to long.", I said with a frown.

"I'm sure it will get done. We'll help you." Lindsay promised me and I smiled widely.

"Thank you for all of your help over the years. I don't know what I would've done." I said gratefully to Lindsay.

"There were times you got me out of a big hole too. Thank you too." Lindsay told me and we shared a big hug while we took the clothes up to the counter. The price was a lot but I wasn't worried; we saved A LOT of money.

We drove back and it seemed like the girls were hiding something from me…again.

"Is my paranoia setting in again or are you guys hiding something on me?" I asked with a curious smile upon my face.

"Oh, why would we do that?" Cali asked me and I shook my head.

"I don't know. I trust my instincts. I guess I was wrong." I said with a frown.

We opened the door and I saw Danny, Flack, Adam and Mac staring at me.

"What are you guys doing here?" I asked in a shocked tone. "Is there a game I forgot about?"

"Nope, why don't you check out the nursery?" Mac asked and he gave me a big smooch. My lips didn't move. I looked back at the girls and they winked. I set the bags down and I walked toward the nursery. Mac walked behind me. I opened the door and my jaw dropped.


	18. Chapter 18

Disclaimer: I do not own CSI: NY or any of its characters. I own Ava, Zeth, Calista and Johnny. 

AN: I was really busy lately so sorry for the long wait. Now, please enjoy! J I'm not totally sure how many more chapters I will post, probably after Stella has the baby I will stop it. I might add some drama too. ;) I know I promised no more bad stuff but I got to add something. I really don't want to end this story just yet. J Also, if there's anything you want me to add just for fun, let me know. J 

Not Much Fun and Games

Stella's POV:

**I was stunned, shocked, elated; every good and happy word known to man. I guess that was the reason why Mac wanted to stay home all day. The whole nursery was finished. All of the furniture we ordered was right in the room. I wobbled back slightly and fell into Mac's arms. **

"**Are you okay?" he asked in a shocked tone and pushed me back on my feet. **

"**Of course, look at this room. It's so beautiful. Thank you, Mac.", I spoke out while I fought tears. Mac kept his hands on my stomach and rubbed his hands in a circular motion. We shared a quick smooch while everyone awed. **

"**You can't just thank me for all of this. We've planned this for a while. We wanted it all to be perfect for you. Actually everyone in this room helped out. Adam, Flack, and Danny helped with the furniture and Lindsay, Mel and Cali helped you keep busy so you wouldn't be suspicious." Mac told me while I smiled thankfully. **

"**Thank you all so much. You are all such great friends. I couldn't live without you guys." I stated proudly and wiped a few tears away. The whole room was smiling at us. **

"**You're welcome, Stella. We'd do anything for you, you know that." Flack told me and winked at me. **

**The whole apartment was filled with such happiness. **

"**This gives me an idea!" Cali yelled out and ran toward the TV. She reached for a DVD and held it up high. "I think it's time to watch the wedding video. I haven't seen this beautiful occasion." **

"**That's a great idea, Cali. Let's watch it!" Adam stated with much enthusiasm. **

"**Of course, I'd love to watch it; I must've been so scared." I said blissfully and stared up at Mac. We all took a seat in front of the TV. Cali pressed play and the scene played out. **

**I was nervous and a bit of it appeared on my face as Flack walked me toward Mac. With what happened with Johnny that day, how he snuck up on me, which made me even more nervous. Speedo Man was out to get me. At least I know now, Johnny's gone for good and that's a very good thing. **

**The vows were so beautiful and I remember them to this day. I was crying a lot too. When I saw the moment Mac slid the ring on my finger, I looked down at my hand and smiled. I knew I found the right man. I never knew who would be my Prince Charming. I searched and searched but I was unsuccessful. The sad thing is that Mac is my Prince Charming and I didn't notice until a while down the road. I would've loved if I realized it earlier but I am so grateful that I have Mac now and I always will from now on. **

**At the moment where we kissed on the DVD, the baby kicked. I had my head on Mac's shoulder and he had his hands on my stomach again so we both felt it. I had to tell everyone. **

"**The baby kicked!" I exclaimed happily. Everyone turned and smiled. Soon, there were multiple hands on my stomach. They wanted to feel the kick too. I had a feeling our child would be very popular; for the right reasons of course. A second kick came and everyone squealed. I just laughed. **

**Mac's POV:**

I've never seen Stella this happy in the 10 years I've known her. I'm so grateful that I met Stella. I loved Claire very much. It took me a while to get over her. I never realized how much love I had toward Stella until Danny was telling me to 'open my eyes for once'. I can't really blame him for telling me that because I probably would've never had the guts to ask Stella out in the first place. 

Our first dance started playing and Stella started to cry. I pulled her closer and kissed her tenderly. The whole day was beautiful and the night was very fun. 

Soon, it was time for everyone to go home. Stella was kissing everyone on the cheeks and hugged them tightly. I'm really glad we all planned this for us. It took a lot of stress off of us too. We didn't have to worry about setting up the room before the baby comes. It's already done so Stell can relax. 

Cali and Mel played music in Cali's room while we relaxed in our bed. 

"How are you feeling?" I asked her while I pushed a curl out of her face. 

"I'm good. Today was a really great day. I can't thank you enough, Mac. I must repay you somehow." Stella explained and winked; her smile curved into a smirk. 

"You're welcome. I'd do anything for you, Stella. Repay, huh?" I asked with a huge smile while she nodded contently. "Well, you can kiss me." 

Soon, we were in a deep make-out session until we heard a knock at the door. Why is it our luck, that every time we get into something, no matter what it is, we get interrupted? There were moments where I wanted to give Stella a hug even before we were going out and we would be interrupted. Cali peeked in while we smiled at her. 

"Um, I'm really sorry if I was interrupting anything." Cali said in a weird voice. "Um, Mel wants to know if she can teach me how to ice-skate. There wasn't much ice in Greece…" Cali started to explain but Stella cut her off. 

"Yes, you can go. Are you going to drive?" Stella asked in a parental tone. 

"We're actually going to walk but we'll be extra careful." Cali promised with a grin. 

"When will you be leaving? Does Mel's dad know you're going?" I asked in a concerned tone. 

"We'll probably be gone before you get up. I'll call when I'm we're on our way back. Yes, he does know. Her dad will come to get her when we're back." Cali explained in an excited tone. 

"Okay, get a good night's sleep and be careful." Stella stated strictly and Cali nodded. 

"Don't chase any bad guys, okay?" I asked with a smile and Cali laughed. 

"I won't, I promise. They're all scared of me anyway." Cali joked and waved goodnight to us. 

"Do you think she'll be okay?" Stella asked me with a nervous gaze. 

"I know she'll be fine. She's strong and you can trust her. So is Mel; everything will be alright." I said and Stella cuddled into my chest. I rubbed her back romantically and we fell asleep. 

_______________________________

**Mel's POV:**

Snow fell lightly down on us while we took our break from skating as we neared a shop to get hot chocolate. 

"You are very great at skating for a beginner. I am very impressed!" I stated proudly and punched her arm in a friendly way. She poked my side and I squealed. 

"Well, I am talented in everything…" Cali started to explain and I threw snow at her. 

"Hey, show off!" I yelled at her as we ran into the shop. Cali knocked off the snow and came in after me. 

We sat on stools in front of the shop and we sat patiently. 

"Do you think Mac and Stella are nervous?" I asked curiously while she told the cute boy that we wanted hot chocolates and put her money out. 

"I bet they are. I haven't been out much without them but I know they trust me. I'm not a girl that gets into trouble." Cali said with a smile and rubbed her hands together fiercely while I get my hands in my pockets to keep warm. 

"Yeah, my parents were like that for a while but they trusted me. They just didn't want me to get hurt, that's all." I said with a smile. I thought about my mom and my real dad. Maybe if nothing ever happened between them, she'd still be alive. I know somewhere my mom is looking down on me and I know she's proud.

The cute boy whose name tag said 'Tyler' came back with our hot chocolates. 

"That's 2 dollars, please." he told us politely while Cali pushed the money forward. 

He was walking back and I called his name. Cali looked at me with huge eyes. 

"So, Tyler, how are you today?" I asked with a smile. 

"I'm fine. What are both of your names and how are you both today?" Tyler asked and pushed his short black hair out of his face. 

"I'm Melissa, you can call me Mel and…" I said with a cute voice and paused for Cali to speak. 

"I'm Calista, you can call me Cali. We're doing well. We were just skating across the street." Cali explained in an excited tone. 

"Oh, that's cool. Well, I gotta get back to work or I'll get fired…" he explained and turned a bit.

"Wait, do you want to join us? It's more the merrier, right? Maybe you can bring a male friend along." I asked with a laugh while Cali kicked my leg under the table. 

"Sure, I'd love to come. I can bring my brother. He likes to skate. His name is Jeremy. He works here too." Tyler stated happily and pointed over to his brother. He had short blonde hair and waved at us. 

"Cool, when do you get off?" Cali asked curiously and he looked back at the clock. 

"Well, it's 1:30 now, so in about 30 minutes, we'll meet you over there, okay?" Tyler asked with a charming smile. We nodded and he waved goodbye. We finished our chocolate milk and we headed back toward the ice with our skates on our shoulders. 

"What were you doing, Mel? You had a massive flirting attack today!" Cali yelled at me playfully. 

"What? He's cute. And his brother is too!" I told her with a wink. Cali blushed as we skated around for a bit. 

"I don't think Stella and Mac would like it if I had a boyfriend." Cali told me nervously. 

"He doesn't have to be a boyfriend…at least not yet anyway. It's good to have a few friends and they seem very nice too." I told her truthfully as we saw Tyler and Jeremy waving at us. 

"There they are! This is going to be fun. You ready?" I asked anticipating the moment where we could get to know more about the two boys. 

"I couldn't be more ready." Cali said quickly as we skated off toward them. 

The day was great. We learned that Tyler and Jeremy are both 16 and there parents are cops. That was good to know. We were on our way back to the Mac and Stella's apartment now. We took a shortcut through a field and we started to have a snowball fight; well, the guys started it. Cali ran ahead of me and I followed; not knowing what would happen. 

________________________________________

**Stella's POV: **

"Whoa, it's getting late." I stated nervously as I paced back and forth while Mac calmed me. 

"It's only 5:30. She'll call soon." Mac assured me and I believed him. A minute or two after he told me this, my cell phone started to ring. It was Cali. 

"Cali! Are you coming home?" I asked with a big smile but my face grew sad and shocked. 

"What? What happened, Mel? Oh my god…we'll be right there" I panicked and ran as fast my body would allow and reached for my coat. I must've been crying. 

"Stella, what's going on?!" Mac yelled and I remembered that he was here with me. 

"Mac…something's happened." I managed to slur out and Mac dropped the glass of water that was in his hand. 

"What happened, did someone get hurt. Is it…" Mac managed to say as his hand still stayed in the form of the glass; like it was still there.

"It's Cali, Mac…" is all I could say as the phone fell out of my hand and hung up. 


	19. Chapter 19

AN: Thanks for the reviews. Well, something happened to Cali and now you'll find out. This idea of Cali getting hurt evolved when I was listening to music. It's actually how I get most of my ideas for my fics. Anyway, here's Chapter 19.

Relief

Stella's POV:

"**It's Cali, Mac…" is all I could say as the phone fell out of my hand and hung up. **

**Mel's POV: **

10 Minutes Before-

"You girls better run for your life!" Tyler screamed while he ran and patted a snow ball together at the same time.

We got off of the street and took a shortcut through a field. The first snow ball hit Cali's back and she retaliated and hit Tyler below the waist. He fell down and screamed. Jeremy helped him up.

We were half way across the field. Cali was way ahead of me. Boy, she was a good runner too.

I soon slowed down and I saw something shiny and Cali was heading straight toward it. It was ice. About 10 snowballs hit my back but I had to stop Cali.

"Cali! Stop running!" I screamed as loud as I could and Cali looked back at me, confused. Everything went in slow motion. She didn't stop; she was falling. I started to run again and so did Tyler and Jeremy once they noticed what was happening but we were all too late. She hit her head on the ice.

We got to her as fast as we could. Blood was soon dripping down her face.

"Cali! No!" I said emotionally with tears flowing. She only muttered a few words.

"Call…Mac…Stella." is all Cali said and she was unresponsive.

"I'll call an ambulance!" Tyler exclaimed and pulled out his cell phone.

"Cali! No, don't give up on me! Please!" I started to sob and I lied over her stomach.

"Mel, call Mac. Please, do what she said." Jeremy pleaded and I agreed.

"Watch her.", I tried to say as Jeremy took my place and watched Cali. I took out my cell phone; my hands trembled uneasily.

I dialed the number and tried to calm down.

Stella picked up. She thought it was Cali.

"Cali! Are you coming home?" I asked with a big smile but my face grew sad and shocked.

"Stella, we were running and Cali slipped and hit her head. She's not responding. The ambulance is here now." I told her in relief. We didn't have to wait long.

"What? What happened, Mel? Oh my god…we'll be right there" I panicked and ran as fast my body would allow and reached for my coat. I must've been crying.

"Stella, what's going on?!" Mac yelled and I remembered that he was here with me.

"Mac…something's happened." I managed to slur out and Mac dropped the glass of water that was in his hand.

"What happened, did someone get hurt. Is it…" Mac managed to say as his hand still stayed in the form of the glass; like it was still there.

"It's Cali, Mac…" is all I could say as the phone fell out of my hand and hung up.

"Stella? Stella!" I yelled and she must've hung up.

I ran back over to the EMT.

"Is she okay?" I asked frantically as the older woman looked up at me.

"She has a faint pulse but she's unresponsive. We have to get her to the hospital now." the woman told us and they got her into the ambulance.

"Can we all ride with her? We're her friends." Tyler asked while his voice cracked.

"Sure but hurry." a man told us now and we got in as quickly as we could.

_____________________________________________________________________________________

**Mac's POV:**

I couldn't move. Cali was hurt. I helped Stella get on her coat. We opened the door quickly and Mel's father was standing at the door and looked at us in shock.

"I was here to get Mel, is something wrong?" Gary asked in a surprised tone.

"Cali's hurt! We're going to the hospital!" Stella cried out and Gary's jaw dropped.

"Oh my god, I'll follow you guys there!" Gary stated quickly and walked behind us.

Stella was walking faster as I held her by the waist. She slipped but I caught her.

"Hey, be careful now. We're going to make it. I don't want you to hurt yourself or the baby." I told her truthfully and she looked at me in shock.

"You don't know if we'll make it or not. Of course I don't want to hurt myself or the baby. Cali is like my first baby, she's my sister, if I lose her, I'm nothing, Mac.", Stella told me more calmly now.

"She's like my daughter too. I know she's going to make it, Stella. Do you trust me?" I asked while my hands cupped her face and I looked into her green eyes.

"Yes, I do, now let's go." Stella stated with a wink and gave me a kiss on the lips. We all hurried and got to the hospital as fast as we could.

Minutes later we were at the hospital. Stella was the first to get to the front desk.

"I'm looking for Calista Bonasera's room." Stella said clearly and tapped her fingers nervously.

"Who are you?" the younger woman asked with a smile.

"I'm Stella Bonasera-Taylor and that's my husband Mac Taylor. We need to see her. Her friend called to tell us she was hurt." Stella said with a frown.

"She's in room 20 so right down the hall to your left and it's the last room on your right." the girl told us and Stella was soon off on her way. I caught up to her and I held her hand. Gary followed us a foot away.

We saw room 20 and Stella stopped. There was a doctor exiting the room. It was Stella's doctor.

"Dr. Meyers!" Stella exclaimed and pulled away from me and ran to her. "Is Cali okay?"

Dr. Meyers replied and stated, "She has a concussion."

Stella stepped back and sat down began to cry. I pulled Stella against me and rubbed her back.

"She'll make it through, right?" I asked nervously while Stella looked at Dr. Meyers.

"It's too early to tell, but there is a chance." she told us and had to leave.

"I'll be in my office if you have any questions. I'll be checking in on her in a while." Dr. Meyers told us with a comforting smile and walked away.

I wiped a tear off of Stella's face. She smiled for a split second.

"Mel!" Gary yelled and we saw Mel walking toward us with two boys.

"Dad!" Mel exclaimed and jumped into his arms.

"What happened out there?" he asked in a shocked tone.

"We were having a snow ball fight and Mel kept running and she slipped on ice. I yelled to tell her to stop but it was too late once she looked." Mel said while she shook her head.

"Did you visit her yet?" Stella asked with hope in her voice. Her hand grabbed mine again.

"No, I wanted you both to go in first." Mel was explaining and one of the boys cut in.

"I shouldn't have started throwing the snowballs!" Mel muttered the name 'Tyler' so that must've been what his name was.

"Tyler, it's not your fault." a boy, who must've been his brother, walked over to him but Tyler pushed him away.

"Yes, it is, Jeremy! She wouldn't have fallen if she didn't have to run." Tyler yelled angrily and punched the wall a few times.

"Calm down, Tyler. Please?" Mel stated in an annoyed tone and grabbed his arm.

"Okay, but it's my fault." Tyler said in an upset tone and sat down with Jeremy following him. Soon, Mel came and sat down by us.

"I think you should go see her, Stella. She would want to see you first or hear you even." Mel told her with a smile.

"Okay, I'll go." Stella said slowly and went into the room.

_____________________________________________________________________________________

**Stella's POV: **

**The drapes were closed when I first saw the room; I could see why; she looked terrible. There was a nurse in the corner of the room monitoring Cali and she left for some privacy. **

**I took a seat and dragged it up near her and sat down. **

"**Cali…" I started to explain. "I know you may not hear me but I'm here. You scared me today and if you make it, I'll probably yell at you a lot." I finished with a laugh. "But, I love you so much. In my whole life, I didn't think I had any family. I was in foster care so I was alone. You and our parents filled my half empty heart. Man, this is getting corny." I let out a few cries and continued. I grabbed her hand and squeezed it tightly **

"**Cali, please, make it through this. Make it through for me, for mom and dad, for Mac, for Mel and for everyone. I bet you won't even remember who I am after this." I coughed out the last few words and started sobbing. **

**I soon heard something unexpected. **

"**How can I forget my own sister?" Cali asked me in a light voice. My eyes widened and I jumped. **

"**Oh my god, Cali! You're okay!" I hugged her tightly and started crying happily now. **

"**I knew I'd come around. When I hit the ground, all I thought about was you. I knew you would be in a lot of pain. I pushed myself to make it for you." Cali told me and winked at me.**

"**Yeah, you gave me a big scare. Does it hurt a lot?" I pointed to the scar above her head. **

"**It hurts a bit but it won't kill me I don't think." Cali joked with me and I walked toward the door. **

"**I got to tell everyone!" I ran toward the door and opened it. Everyone looked at me. "She's okay! She's awake!" Everyone smiled and cheered and came into the room. Tyler was the first to run up to her. **

"**Cali! I'm so sorry that I started throwing the snowballs! I shouldn't have done that. Please, forgive me.", Tyler grabbed her hands and pleaded. **

"**It's not your fault but I forgive you. If I wasn't such a baby, I wouldn't have run at all." Cali laughed and the doctor walked in.**

"**Cali needs her rest. It's great to see you awake, Cali." Dr. Meyers said and everyone made it out of the room except for Mac. "Cali should be able to go home in a few days. Please, call us." Mac nodded and started to speak.**

"**Cali, I knew you'd make it through." he stated with a warm smile. **

"**I knew you'd believe in me, Mac.", Cali told him with a huge smile.**

"**I always did and always will." Mac told her as we made our way out and kissed for a few minutes. **

**Everything was going to be alright now. I was sure of it. **


	20. Author's Note

**AN: Okay, I don't want to be mean, but I have only gotten about 2 reviews per chapter, sometimes not even any. Come on guys. I see you clicking on my story. Please, can't you review for me? I might end this story early but I really don't want to. I mean, I don't have to write it all. I know what I want to happen. I'm not even sure if you guys care anymore. Please, just review once in a while. I mean, this story isn't going to be around for much longer if you don't. ****L**


	21. Chapter 20

**Disclaimer: Once again, I do not own CSI: NY or any of its characters. I just own the story and the characters that are not in the show. I'm not so sure what else to write about and I need to get to 50 Words for a thing online so if you have anything I can do, let me know. ;) **

**AN: Okay, this is Chapter 20. ****J Enjoy! **

**A Very Merry Baby Shower**

Today is December 24th. It's the day before Christmas. The streets were extra crowded because some people were getting food and last minute gifts.

In the Taylor household, Mac and Stella were fixing the last minute touches for their baby shower today. All of their friends were invited and even Stella's parents were coming up from Pennsylvania.

Banners were hung around the room that said, 'It's a Girl!'. Although the baby wasn't born yet, they wanted everyone to know about their beautiful pride and joy. Also, pink and white balloons surrounded the room.

Stella was looking through her closet for something to wear and pondered her options in her bra and underwear. She picked a flowing lavender dress that hugged all of her pregnancy curves. Before she could put it on, she heard a knock on the bedroom door.

"Come in." Stella said happily with her eyes fixated on the door.

Mac peered out of the corner of the doorway and smiled.

"Oh, I'm sorry." Mac said playfully while he let his eyes wander over Stella's body.

"No, come on in Mac. I need help zippering up the dress anyway." Stella said with a huge smile. Stella stepped into the dress and pulled it up.

"Wow." Mac said in a shocked tone. "You never stop getting beautiful, do you?" Mac finished what he had to say and pulled up the zipper slowly and carefully.

"Aww, Mac," Stella squealed and continued. "I can honestly say the same about you."

"I have the most beautiful, intelligent and funny woman married to me. How lucky am I?" Mac asked joyfully and pulled Stella close to him.

"Very lucky." is all she said and she kissed him on the lips. Soon, they stood there hugging each other. Soon, their little creation would be there and it would make their bond that much stronger.

Another knock was heard and Cali peeked in.

"Hi." Cali stated with a wink. "Danny, Lindsay and Lucy are here now."

Before Cali could say anything else, Stella pulled Mac along as she ran toward the group. Danny set 2 presents on the ground. Lucy started to run towards Stella and jumped into her arms.

"Stella!" Lucy squealed and planted a kiss on Stella's cheek. Danny and Lindsay laughed proudly. Lucy was now 2 and she has matured a lot. She had Danny's blue eyes but they were starting to have a green tint to them. Her dark blonde hair was starting to lighter.

"Hello, Luce. How are you?" Stella asked as she held her tightly.

"Good.", Lucy said quickly and jumped into Mac's arms.

"Uncle Mac!" Lucy yelled as she tickled her stomach. She laughed and tickled Mac back. Stella ran into her room and came out with something behind her back.

"Luce, I got something for you!" Stella exclaimed happily while Lucy jumped up and down. It was a stuffed animal teddy bear that had a heart on it and it said 'Lucy' inside it.

"Wee!" Lucy squealed and hugged both Stella and Mac again. The she jumped up on the couch and played with her bear while watching Spongebob.

Stella soon walked over to Lindsay and Danny and hugged them both.

"She's gotten really big!" Stella exclaimed in shock while she watched Lucy on the couch. Then Mac came over and gave a hug to Danny and Lindsay.

"Yes. She is looking more like me every single day!" Danny yelled in triumph while Lindsay poked his side.

"Did you decide on a name yet?" Lindsay asked curiously as she looked at Stella's very large stomach.

"Yeah, but you're not gonna get it from me." Stella teased her and Lindsay threw on a fake glare.

Soon, multiple knocks were heard at the door.

"Look's like that's everyone else!" Stella said excitedly and opened up the door to see all of her friends and her parents. The crowd before her was Flack, Sam, Hawkes, Sid, Adam, Kendall and her parents Ava and Zeth.

An assortment of hugs and greetings were exchanged for a few moments. Stella's parents were in awe of Stella and how much she has grown. Calista was walking out of the room after just removing her headphones of her iPod and put it in her pocket.

**Calista's POV: **

I was too busy blasting music to notice that everyone has arrived. I saw my parents firstly and mom was glaring at me. For what could she be glaring at me for? I wasn't even sure of the answer.

"Calista Marie Bonasera!" Ava yelled and I almost fainted because I didn't think I was in trouble and her voice was so loud. "You're lucky you're alive, you know that?"

Ooh, now I knew what it was about.

"Yes, I know I could've killed myself but didn't you know that wasn't nearly the first time." I spoke out loud but put myself deeper into a hole.

"What do you mean?" Ava yelled out while everyone stared at me.

"Well, what she's saying is, she chased after a criminal and this time she just ran." Stella joked and winked at me.

"Yeah, what happened to me could've happened to anyone. People slip and fall all the time you know?" I said convincingly and my parents laughed.

"Please, be careful. We thought we lost our little girl." Zeth told me truthfully and held out his arms for a hug. I ran over and jumped into his embrace while my mom joined in. Soon, enough there was a big huddle around me.

"Aah!" I screamed out loud. "I can't breathe! I'm gonna get claustrophobia!" Once I got out of the very big group hug, I answered my dad. "I promise I won't get hurt once again. I'm going to get some breaks installed and some bumpers too. I'll be fine."

The whole room erupted with laughter. Hmm, maybe I could be a comedian as well.

**_____________________________________________________________________________________**

**Stella's POV:**

About 2 hours passed by and we finished eating. Mac made some of his 'mean hamburgers' for us. We had some great cake too that Kendall made. Boy that cake was good, but that's not the point.

There must've been at least 10 presents in the room for either me and Mac or the baby or maybe even Cali.

We were sitting in the living room and we were ready to open up the presents.

"It's not huge," I started to explain. "But we got you all gift cards. We were low on cash and we didn't know what to get you guys."

"Aw, that's fine, Stella. It's the thought that counts." Sid thanked me with a smile. Everyone thanked us as well and I handed them the cards.

"The good thing is with those you can go anywhere and get something." Mac said with a huge smile and I laughed at him.

"Hey, Stell, open up our gifts first!" Lindsay told me while Danny carried the packages over.

I opened up the first package that said both Cali and baby on it. Mac and I opened it together while Lindsay and Danny couldn't stop smiling. It was a baby monitor, which we forgot to get, I don't know how though. There was another package and I handed it to Cali. She ripped it open and started jumping up and down.

"Whoa! I'm getting Christina Aguilera's new CD?! I freaking love you two!" Cali exclaimed and ran toward Lindsay and lifted her up. She jumped and hugged Danny and nearly knocked him over. "Thank you!"

"You're very welcome." Danny stated as he regained his posture.

After I started laughing, Mac and I both said, "Thank you very much." I then continued, "We forgot to get one. I can't even believe we did. So, this worked out well. What's in the other package I wonder?"

We tore the wrapping off and it revealed a new coffee maker.

"Yay!" I exclaimed excitedly and Mac smiled a lot. "We're going to get a lot of use out of this! Thank you once again!" Danny and Lindsay nodded while Lucy tugged on her pants.

We got many gifts. We got 3 blankets from Sid that his wife made for us. Flack and Sam got us got us a gift card for Baby's 'R Us. Hawkes got us a pack of baby bottles. Adam and Kendall brought a teddy bear and mobile. My parents gave us some of my old baby clothes to give our girl and baby blocks. It was all very helpful to us.

We started pouring some wine and Adam told us he had a toast. Instead, I held up some hot chocolate and so did Lucy.

**Adam's POV: **

I held up the glass of wine nervously in front of the whole room. I had something planned and I really hoped it would work out well.

"First off, I'd like to thank you all for being a really great friend to me. I've never had better friends then you guys." I told them truthfully and held my glass steadily. "Also, I want to make a toast to Stella and Mac. They are a very happy, married, pregnant couple. You've been there for me all the time so I thank you both. So, here's a toast to Mac and Stella." I held up my glass happily while everyone smiled at Mac and Stella and did the same as me.

Now, here was the nervous part for me.

"I also want to thank my girlfriend, Kendall. You are the greatest woman in my life. You're cute, funny, and very smart. You can also dance around crazy like I do," I started with a giggle. "I'm going to say something and I really don't know how this will go." I finished and set my glass on the table. I walked toward Kendall who was sitting in the recliner. I took out a small package and kneeled down. The whole room awed and made all kinds of noises.

"I'm not sure if this is the perfect time but Kendall Novak, will you marry me?" I asked nervously as I held out the ring.

She leaned forward and kissed me on the lips.

"Adam Ross, I accept your offer. I will be your wife!" Kendall said excitedly and jumped into my arms. Everyone clapped and wiped tears away.

I slid the ring on her finger and stated, "I love you, Kendall."

She looked into my eyes and replied, "I love you too, Adam."

The whole room gathered around us and gave us big warm hugs.

* * *

**Mac's POV: **

It was time for everyone to go home after a great night. Adam told me he was going to propose and I told him to go for it. I'm so happy for them.

"Thank you for the advice, Mac.", Adam told me thankfully with a smile and I patted his back.

"I'll give advice anytime, Adam. You take care of yourself." I told him while his arm wrapped around Kendall.

"Thanks. Bye." Adam said happily as he and Kendall walked out of the apartment.

"Merry Christmas!" Hawkes exclaimed as the clock struck 12.

"Santa!" Lucy exclaimed and started to kick Lindsay as she held her.

"Uh oh, I think we better head out. She's gonna miss, Santa." Danny told us and picked up the bear we gave her.

"Bye. Thanks for inviting us." Lindsay said contently as she picked up her purse and threw it over her shoulder.

"You're welcome anytime, Linds." Stella told her as they headed out.

"I have to drive home Sam too. It seems like we're leaving too." Flack added with a frown. Both Hawkes and Sid told us they had to go as well.

"Bye.", Flack, Sam, Hawkes and Sid told us and we waved goodbye.

Soon, Ava and Zeth remained.

"It looks like we've lasted the longest!" Zeth joked and punched my arm playfully.

"Thank you for coming. We love you!" I told them and hugged them and Stella and Cali did the same.

"We know you're going to be great parents." Ava admitted and kissed Stella on the cheek.

"We know we will." Stella said while her voice broke and a few tears escaped.

"Have a great night all of you." Zeth told us as he grabbed Ava's hand lovingly.

"The same goes for you both!" Cali exclaimed and waved goodbye.

Soon, it was just the 3...well, 4 of us. Cali walked into her room while Stella and I headed into our room.

We undressed into our pajamas and snuggled together.

"Today was great, Mac.", Stella told me as she rubbed her hands back and forth. I smiled and added,

"I agree."

I kissed her stomach and spoke out, "Merry Christmas." I spoke to our baby girl and we felt a kick.

"I love you Stella." I told her as we kissed a few times.

"I love you too, Mac.", Stella smiled widely and cuddled into my chest as we fell into a deep, peaceful sleep.


	22. Chapter 21

AN: Thanks for the reviews. J Um, I was running out of ideas so I really hope you like this chapter. I'm gonna try to make it 25 chapters, just as long as it's more than 50,000 words. J

**Girl's Day Out**

It was early in the morning on January 2nd, 2010. The sun just started to become visible. The light shined in onto Lindsay's face, which caused her to turn over. She groaned and opened her eyes to see Danny sleeping with a calm smile upon his face.

She twisted slightly to see what time it was; 8:47 AM. Lindsay sighed because she knew she could've slept in longer.

**Lindsay's POV: **

Stella and I are going to have a girl's day out. I think we both need it. I was really excited too because Stell and didn't have much quality time to spend together lately, with just her and me, so we grabbed the opportunity while we still could.

We plan on shopping, then going to the spa and having lunch.

The last time we did all of that must've been about 2 months after I came to New York. Stella told me it was my welcoming into New York. Stella was the one person I understood and she understood me so she was basically my only friend from the very beginning. Our friendship grew a lot since I arrived at New York.

I stared at the ceiling for a moment and gazed back at Danny. He was still sleeping. The sun caught me off guard and it made me sneeze. I grabbed a tissue and noticed that Danny's eyes shot open instantly and I laughed lightly.

"Sorry about that, honey." I told him as I shook my head.

"No, it's fine. Come here!" Danny told me with a wink and motioned me to cuddle with him. I got up and sat by him. He wrapped his arms around me tightly.

"I can't stay here like this for long, although I would love to." I told him honestly and thought if Stella was up yet.

"Maybe I'm not going to let you go." Danny teased and pulled his arms against me tighter.

"Danny…" I started to say but I was interrupted with Danny's lips on mine. I couldn't resist.

It was fun when Danny and I started to make out. I almost thought it was going to get intense but we were interrupted.

Lucy was crying in the other room. We both got immediately and walked in her room.

"What's wrong, Luce?" Danny asked her as he lifted her out of the crib.

"Milk.", Lucy said sadly and pointed to the floor. Her bottle was on the floor. I picked it up and shook it. It was empty.

"Come on, Luce. We'll get you some milk." I told her happily and Danny let her run out into the living room.

She sat down on the floor and started playing with the bear Stella gave to her.

I made her up a bottle and she took it from me happily. She had some of her teeth in already. I got a picture of her laughing. By the time she's 3, I know we'll have a lot of pictures of her. There are already 300 on my camera so I think it's time to print some off one of these days.

I had my clothes picked out the night before so I walked into my room and was about to walk in the bathroom when Danny was running toward me.

"Are you getting in the shower?" Danny asked curiously with a cute smile.

"Yes, I am. I need to leave here about 11 and get Stella." I told him quickly and set my clothes on the sink.

"Can I come in?" Danny asked with a wink.

I laughed lightly and said, "Although I would enjoy a shower with you, I have to get ready. We're on a schedule, Danny. I'd also hate to put Lucy back into her crib if you weren't out there…"

"Okay, Linds. I'll see you in a bit." he added and kissed me on the lips and I closed the door joyfully.

* * *

**Mac's POV:**

I was sitting on the couch with a fresh brewed cup of coffee. I was gazing at the forecast. It would be a couple degrees warmer today but it doesn't affect 10 degrees though.

I heard the floor crack and noticed Stella walking out toward me.

"Babe, what are you doing out here?" she asked me in a worried tone. Stella sat next to me and grabbed my hand.

"Well, I got home late because of a case and I really didn't want to disturb you." I said as I yawned loudly.

"I wouldn't have minded. I missed cuddling with you." Stella said with a giggle and we kissed for a few moments.

"Do you still have to get a shower?" I asked her and her eyes grew wide.

"Crap, I almost forgot. Can you come in with me? I really don't want to fall at this stage." Stella said happily and rubbed her stomach.

"Sure, just let me get my clothes. Do you have your clothes?" I asked her again while she nodded.

We walked into the bathroom hand in hand.

* * *

**Stella's POV: **

I got finished drying my hair and I turned to see it was 10:50. Lindsay would be here really soon. I knocked on Cali's door. When I heard no answer, I peaked in her room. I noticed she was listening to her iPod with the music turned up loudly.

"Cali!" I yelled at her.

I tried again.

"Cali!" I yelled in my loudest voice and she looked up stunned.

"Oh, Stella, I'm sorry." Cali said while her cheeks turned a little bit pink.

"We really need to get you a music system," I told her with a laugh. "You're going to destroy your ears."

"That's a good idea," Cali told me with a wink. "Did you need something?"

"Yeah, I was telling you that I'm leaving with Lindsay in a few minutes so you don't think I disappeared." I joked with her and she laughed back.

"Oh, I'm not that paranoid as you are, Stell." Cali started to explain and I stopped her.

I walked over with my arms out for a hug and she hugged me tightly.

"Bye. I love you." I said before walking out of her room.

"Bye. I love you too." Cali said and waved bye.

When I walked out, Lindsay was standing in the living room talking to Mac. I really think I take too long to get ready.

"Hey," I yelled to Lindsay as I walked out slowly. "It looks like it's that time, Mac."

He pulled me close to him and looked into my eyes.

"Now, have fun, okay?" Mac asked to make sure. I nodded and we kissed goodbye.

"I love you, Mac. I'll see you later." I said with a big smile.

"I love you too, Stell! Call me!" He told me and I gave him a wink for an answer.

Lindsay and I were off to our first destination; lunch. I could've eaten Lindsay's car but that wouldn't be too good but I was really hungry.

We went to a restaurant down the block that I was familiar with; it was named 'Benny's'. It was really nice in there.

We got a booth close to the door and sat down. I slipped off my coat and put it on the seat.

"This is really great!" I exclaimed and Lindsay laughed.

"I know! We haven't done something like this for a long time. We needed it.", Lindsay told me with a grin.

"I agree with that. Hmm, let's see what I'm gonna get." I spoke out loud and looked through the menu.

"Are you going to eat something healthy?" Lindsay asked and I shook my head.

"I've been eating healthy my whole pregnancy. It's time to let myself go. I have about a week until the baby arrives…"

I started to explain as I rubbed my stomach blissfully.

A young waitress came over and to our surprise, we knew her.

"Mel! I didn't know you worked here!" I exclaimed and jumped up and gave her a hug.

"Yeah, my dad wanted me to get a job. It's not that bad here. Working is fun. Hello, Linds." Mel said cheerfully.

"Well, that's good. Well, I want a drink of water if you don't mind and what do you want, Linds?" I asked across the table.

"I'd like to drink a Pepsi, please." Lindsay replied thankfully.

"Alright, I'll be right back." Mel added and went off to get our drinks.

"This is really fun." Lindsay added and looked out the window.

* * *

**Lindsay's POV: **

I've seen Stella this happy.

"I know. This isn't the really fun part. We still have to go the spa too and shop." I said happily and winked at her.

"Yeah, I doubt I'll be the same size though." Stella replied with a frown.

"Oh, you'll get back down to your normal weight and size. I know you will." I encouraged her and she believed me.

"So, do you think it's safe to get the same size I used to wear?" Stella asked patiently and I answered her.

"Yeah, I mean, you're a healthy girl so the weight should go away quickly. It only took me about a month but I worked my butt off.", I told her truthfully when Mel came back with our drinks. We thanked her and gave her our orders.

"I'd like a Caesar salad and a grilled cheese sandwich." I told Mel and took a drink of my drink.

"What about you, Stella?" Mel asked in a pleased tone.

"I'll have a cheeseburger, French fries and applesauce." Stella exclaimed and put a straw in her drink.

"Okay, I'll be back soon." Mel told us and headed off toward the kitchen.

This was a start of a fantastic day with my best friend.

* * *

**Flack's POV: **

I was just getting off of work when I got a call from Mac.

"Hello, Mac. What's going on?" I asked him curiously as I got on my coat. "Sure, you can count me in. It's just us?"

I listened to what Mac had to say and replied.

"Yeah, that's awesome. I'll be there soon. Bye."

I got into my car with a pleased mood.

Mac is a cool guy. We had a couple fights over the years but he always had my back. Mac just asked me something that I never thought he would. It seems Danny was coming over too.

It seemed now that the girl's weren't the only ones that were going to have fun today.

* * *

**Danny's POV: **

**I gathered up Lucy's things and I headed over to Mac's place. Flack was going to be there too. I guess we were going to chat and do other guy things. I wonder what that meant. **

**Well, I guess it would make sense to have a guy's day when the girl's were having a girl's day. When Lucy started to cry, I handed her a bottle full of juice. I smiled at her when I seen her playing with a Spongebob toy. She's growing up so fast. **

**I got to Mac's place and I saw Flack's car parked there already. I threw Lucy's bag over my shoulder and carried her up slowly and carefully. I knocked on the door and Flack opened the door. **

"**Hello Danno!" Flack exclaimed and patted my shoulder. **

"**Hello Flacky!" I joked and let Lucy down. I dumped her toys out so she'd be entertained. **

**Mac was pouring chips into bowls and had soda out on the counter. It looked like we were having a party. **

"**Hey Mac.", I yelled out to him while he waved back at me. **

"**What do you want to drink?" he semi-yelled and I let my eyes wander on what he had. **

"**I'll have Sprite," I said contently and he handed the cup to me. "Thank you." **

"**Yep," he added and smiled at me and Flack. "I'm sorry this was short notice but us we don't get to hang out as much either so I thought of this."**

"**I think it was a good idea." I said truthfully and Mac spoke after me. I noticed there was wrestling on the TV. I don't think Lucy would even pay attention that kind of stuff. **

**There were 3 chairs set up and there was a deck of cards on the table. **

"**We're going to play cards?" I asked curiously and both Flack and Mac nodded. **

"**Yes and we get to bet potato chips!" Mac exclaimed and Flack and I burst out laughing. **

"**What happened to betting money?" Flack asked with a smirk and I answered him. **

"**Flack, that's illegal, you silly head," I joked around with him while Mac laughed. "You don't want to arrest yourself, do you?"**

**Flack shook his head and added. **

"**I see your point. Well, let's get started!" he said as we began our game. **


	23. Chapter 22

AN: Here's chapter 22. I hope you like it. J

**The Best Day Ever**

**Cali's POV: **

I was listening to music in my room, preferably, Christina Aguilera's music. Boy is she something. That's talent right there. Her voice is heaven to me. I heard a lot of hooting and a hollering out in the living room and I decided to check it out.

Danny, Flack and Mac were sitting at the kitchen table with cards in their hands and bowls of different chips sat on it. Danny and Flack through down their cards in defeat. Mac laughed triumphantly and took the chips they betted.

"Wow," I said out loud and the men, or should I say boys, stared at me with wide eyes.

"Cali's here?" Danny asked in a stunned tone. "I thought we were the only ones here."

Mac was speechless but made up something.

"Sorry, but you didn't ask." Mac managed to say before bursting out in laughter. Don and I started to laugh with him. Danny shook his head lightly. He must've been embarrassed.

"Why didn't Lindsay and Stella invite you to go with them?" Don asked me and I smiled politely.

"They did, actually," I started to explain and sat down in an extra chair "but I thought it was good to have them have a day just to themselves, you know? I see Stella everyday and Lindsay every other day."

Don nodded happily as he dealt out new cards. At that moment, my cell phone started ringing. It was Stella.

"Hello," I spoke out curiously. "What's that?"

"There's someone you may want to meet down at Benny's. Do you want to come down?" Stella asked me contently and I pondered the thought. Oh, what the hell.

"Sure, I'll be down in a few minutes. See ya." I stated excitedly and put my cell phone in my pocket.

"What did Stella want?" Mac asked me and I answered him.

"Oh, she said there's someone I want to meet down at Benny's. I'll be careful, I promise." I reassured him and put on my jacket.

"Okay, we'll see you later." Mac said goodbye and I headed out the door.

* * *

**Stella's POV: **

Yes, our plan was going to work. Someone Cali looked up to and had a HUGE crush on was in the restaurant sitting right behind us.

"Stell, she is going to freak out!" Lindsay said enthusiastically as she finished her salad and went on to her grilled cheese sandwich. I was just finishing up what I ordered.

"I know but, I couldn't just let him walk away, could I? She'd kill me then." I told her truthfully and Lindsay nodded with a laugh.

Soon, I saw Cali running toward Benny's.

"Here she comes!" I yelled and I smiled and showed my teeth. "Are you ready back there?" I asked Cali's crush.

"Yes, I am ready." the blonde-haired man said to us and turned back around. A bell jingled when Cali came in the door and she ran over to us.

"Hey," Cali said breathlessly and leaned on the table.

"Did you run ALL the way here?" Lindsay asked in a stunned tone.

"Uh huh," she managed to let out. She let her eyes wander and she noticed Mel. "Mel! This is the person you wanted me to see, wasn't it?" She jumped into her best friend's arms and they hugged each other.

"Actually, that's not it.", I told her with an innocent smile. Mel pointed to the man behind me and I winked at her. He stood up and walked toward Cali.

"Oh!" Cali screamed at the top of her lungs. "Leonardo DiCaprio! Is that really you?"

Leo laughed and shook her hand and then pulled her into a hug.

"Yes, it's really me. You're sister told me you're my biggest fan so I couldn't pass on meeting my biggest fan." he said happily and motioned me to get my camera out.

"Can I have a picture with you?" Cali asked with loving eyes.

"Of course you can. Stella, will you do the honors?" Leo asked me with a wide smile and set his arm on Cali's shoulder while she grabbed his waist. I took 2 pictures and Leo signed a picture of him that was always in Cali's wallet.

Leo had to leave and he kissed Cali on the cheek and he left her flustered.

"B-bye.", she managed to slur out and ran over to me.

"I frickin' love you!!" Cali exclaimed and hugged me tightly.

"Whoa, watch out. There's a baby in here." I joked with her to a point.

"Sorry but I can't believe you did that; for me. You're the best sister ever!" Cali said with a wink.

"The one and only and I'm proud to have that honor." I winked at her and she hugged me more gently.

"Well, I better get back. Mac's going to be worried sick. I'll see you both later." Cali was getting up and I had to ask her something.

"Wait, what is Mac doing at the house?" I asked interestedly and we started

"Oh, it's nothing important." Cali told me with a laugh and she waved goodbye to us. She hugged Mel at the door and then she left.

"That was fun. She was never expecting that." Lindsay said happily and wiped the grease off of her hands with a napkin.

"I know. So, are we off to destination 2?" I asked in a satisfied tone.

"Of course we are. Let's pay the bill and we're outta here." Lindsay told me and walked to the counter. Mel took the money with a smile.

"Did you girl's enjoy yourselves?" she asked contently and we nodded.

"Well, I'm happy you did. Please, come back again. Bye." Mel said with a fake stern look.

"Oh, we will." I told her honestly. That was great food. "Bye." Lindsay and I said at the same time.

We smiled happily and got into the car. Next up was a trip to the spa.

* * *

It was about 20 minutes later when we arrived to the spa. The atmosphere was so soothing. We sat down and waited until we were called.

"What do you girl's want today?" a young man probably in his 20's asked up.

"We'd both like a facial and a massage but, for Stella" Lindsay continued to say. "Just make it pregnancy friendly."

I smiled at her as the man looked over the counter.

"Okay, you girls can wait in the room. There are robes already in there." he stated with a wink and we walked in.

Our massage would be first. We got undressed into our robes and 2 men came in to give us massages.

The massage felt so great to me. We were both in heaven.

Soon, we had facials. I saw it was 3:30 already. I wasn't feeling up to shopping anymore. Even though the massage was great, I don't think I would make it. I was too tired.

"Lindsay, I don't want to say this but I think I'm too tired to go shopping. I'm sorry." I told her with a frown.

"That's fine, Stell. I understand that you may be tired. I was around this stage. We can go home after this if you'd like." She told me happily and I nodded gratefully.

"Who knows, maybe we can go after my pregnancy. I'd be more comfortable in picking my size." I admitted and she nodded.

"That is perfectly fine with me, Stella." Lindsay said happily and women washed off our faces.

We got out of there and we looked as good as new.

We were walking up the stairs in my apartment and we nearing my apartment.

"I wonder what Danny did today." Lindsay said with her eyes closed.

"I wonder what Mac did." I said happily and thought about the possibilities.

I didn't bother knocking because Mac could possibly be sleeping so I just took out my key. I turned the key slowly.

* * *

**Mac's POV: **

We lost another round to Cali and we all yelled angrily.

"I gotta royal flush, baby! Yes!" Cali yelled because of her win. She showed the cards to us and threw them in the air.

"Mac…" I heard my name being called. It was Stella. When did she come in?

"Oh, Stella…um, what are you doing here so early?" I said nervously while Danny, Flack and Cali stared at the group.

"I wasn't up to shopping so we decided to come back. What's all of this about?" Stella asked and looked around the room.

"We decided we needed a guy's day too." Flack said with a wink.

"It seems like a big party." Lindsay admitted and kissed Danny. "Where's Lucy?"

"She's sleeping in Cali's room. At least I hope she's still sleeping." Danny said with a laugh. Lindsay walked toward Cali's room by instinct.

"Hello Mommy!" Lucy yelled and jumped into her mother's arms.

"Lucy, I missed you." Lindsay said as she picked her up.

I looked back over to Stella and she was smiling at Lindsay and Lucy. Soon, she looked back at me.

"So, you're not mad?" I asked as I stood up and pulled her close to me.

"Of course I'm not mad. This just seems…out of your comfort zone." Stella said with a giggle.

"Don't you remember when we played poker?" I asked her and she remembered our naughty night.

"Oh yeah, strip poker." Stella said out loud. She covered her mouth and I shook my head.

"Gross!" Cali erupted and pretended to choke herself. "It seems you can't do THAT anymore."

Everyone started to laugh and I kissed her gently on the lips.

"Can two more people join this game?" Stella asked me curiously and I nodded.

"Of course you can. The more people we have, the better it is." I told her with a wink. We all sat down and began another game.

* * *

**Stella's POV: **

It was just Cali, Mac and I now as we relaxed on the couch. We watched E! News. Leonardo DiCaprio was on the T.V.

"Mac, you'll never guess who Stella wanted me to meet." Cali said mysteriously.

"Who was it?" he asked her.

"Leonardo DiCaprio!" Cali exclaimed as she pointed to him on T.V.

"Wow. That must've been fun." Mac said with a laugh.

"It was. Look!" Cali said as she took out her wallet with a signed photo now.

"He signed your photo? That was nice of him." Mac told her and she kissed the picture.

"He kissed me on the cheek. I was going to pass out." Cali gushed and put the picture back in the wallet. I rested my head on Mac's chest when Cali spoke again.

"There's going to be a full moon and a lot of stars out tonight. Can I walk to Central Park?" Cali asked softly and smiled at us.

"Hmm, I don't know…" I started to say.

"Stella, please!" Cali begged and I looked up at Mac. He nodded and I smiled.

"I guess you can go but be VERY careful, you hear me?" I asked her and she nodded excitedly. "If anything happens, call us."

"I will. Thank you!" she exclaimed and grabbed her coat. Soon, she was out the door.

"Wow that was quick." Mac said with a sigh.

"That's how teenagers are, Mac.", I told him as he covered us with a blanket.

"I was a teenager once, you know? Did it ever cross your mind that she may be seeing a boy at night?" he asked me and I closed my eyes.

"No, that didn't even cross my mind. I know if she was seeing a boy or if she had a boyfriend, she'd tell me and if she does, she will tell me eventually. We don't have to worry about her." I told her truthfully and kissed him on the lips.

"See, I'm not experienced with that kind of stuff." Mac laughed and played with my curls.

"It looks like you got a girl all on your own, Mac.", I told him and he tickled my stomach.

"Yeah, maybe I did. It sucks that I didn't realize it until a year ago." Mac said as he stuck his tongue out.

"I know you knew Mac, you just didn't know how to go about it. I was the same way." I told him with a wink.

"Yeah, I guess you're right." Mac said as we cuddled under the blanket.

* * *

**Cali's POV: **

I got to the park and it was magical. There were so many stars in the sky and the moon lit up the whole city. I sat down on a bench and stared up at the sky peacefully. Soon, I wasn't the only one there.

"You're enjoying the stars too?" I heard someone ask. I knew who it was.

"Jeremy! What are you doing here?" I asked quickly and tried to calm myself down.

"I knew you'd be here. You'd never pass something like this up.", he told me happily. His blue eyes reflected in the moonlight. "Do you mind if I sit down?"

"Sure." I told him and he sat next to me.

"I know I told you a bunch of times but I'm really sorry about what happened a month ago." Jeremy was referring to when I fell.

"Look, it's fine. It could've been you, Tyler or Mel. I'm just happy to be alive and some of it was my fault anyway." I said truthfully and I put some of my hair behind my ear.

"I'm just so happy that you're okay. I know we've known each other for about a month or so but, it seems like I knew you for my whole life." Jeremy said with a giggle. I was shocked.

"Aw. That's nice to say." I blushed and looked away so he couldn't see.

"I really think…ah, never mind." he started to say but I touched his shoulder.

"What is it, Jeremy?" I asked him in a concerned tone.

"I really like you; a lot." Jeremy said as he looked in my eyes.

"You, you do." I was flabbergasted.

"Yes but, I'm not sure that you feel the same way…" he said with a half frown.

"No, I really do. I never liked anyone as much as I liked you." I told him and I put my hand on his. He grabbed my hand and held it tightly.

"Cali, will you be my girlfriend?" Jeremy asked and a tear went down my face.

"Of course I will." I said happily and hugged him.

We walked back to the apartment hand in hand.

"This was really great, Jeremy! Thanks for being my boyfriend." I exclaimed and he pulled me close.

"I wouldn't have had it any other way. Well, I'll call you. Bye." Jeremy told me and he leaned in for a kiss. I wasn't expecting it.

"Whoa…" I let the word slip out and he laughed. "I wasn't ready for that."

"Are you ready now?" he asked and he leaned in slowly. We kissed for a few moments. We giggled and look to each other's eyes.

"You're so awesome." I said while I started breathing again.

"Why, thank you. You're the most beautiful girl on the planet." Jeremy complimented me and I loved it.

"Thank you! Well, I better get inside. Mac and Stella will be worrying about me." I said sadly. I didn't want to leave him.

"Yeah, my parents will think something happened to me. Well, I'll call you tomorrow, okay?" he asked and I nodded. "Bye."

"Bye," I told him and I watched him walk away. I ran into the apartment and ran up the stairs. I got to the room and I opened up the door. Mac and Stella were still on the couch and they smiled when I got in.

"How were the stars?" Stella asked curiously and I was ready to tell her.

"It was so beautiful and the moon was magnificent. Well, I better go to bed. Goodnight." I told them as I walked into my room. I collapsed on my bed and smiled.

"Thank you, God. Thanks for this great life." I spoke out loud and closed my eyes.


	24. Chapter 23

AN: Thank you for the reviews. You guys are making me very happy. Well, Cali and Jeremy are going out. I hope you enjoyed it. I'm really running out of ideas so sadly there will be at least one more chapter after this, maybe even 2. But I have another story that I may put out…I may even write another DL fic. ;) Here's Chapter 23!

**Love Feels So Good**

**Stella's POV:**

I was folding laundry and putting the clothes into neat piles when I heard a door open. It was Cali. She was humming happily with the biggest smile on her face. She spun around like a little girl and almost fell back once she saw me standing there.

"I didn't see you standing there, Stell. Why do you always sneak up on me?" she joked and stood by me.

"I'm sorry," I said as I noticed her peaceful and harmonious expression. "Why are you so happy?"

Cali looked me in the eyes and laughed.

"What?" she started to say. "A girl can't be happy?" She stood with her arms folded over her chest and smirked.

"Well, no. It's just that you're never this happy." I started to say and poured a cup of tea for myself and offered her a cup. She took it thankfully and explained her mood.

"I guess it's my day." Cali told me with a wink and sat down in the recliner. She turned on the TV and I smiled at her before I went in to check on Mac.

He was sleeping with the blankets over his head. I wanted to wake him up and I wanted to do it in a sneaky night. I took a pillow from the chair in the corner and tossed it on to him.

"WHOA! WHAT WAS THAT?!" he yelled out while I covered my mouth so he wouldn't hear me laugh.

Mac recovered over his scare and noticed me.

"Oh, you think that's funny!" he jumped out the bed furiously although I knew he was faking the whole thing and walked up to me. He put his hands on my face and pulled my face to his. We kissed and he carried me out to the kitchen. He set me on the couch and walked over to the food.

"I'll finish it up.", Mac said happily as I was about to stand up. "Nope, I'm doing the rest. You're going to relax today."

I sat back down and Cali looked over at me.

"I'm not eating ONE bite of that food. He'll mess all of it up.", Cali whispered with a grin on her face.

"Okay, it's done." Mac told us and Cali and I walked over to the table. We were having eggs, toast and back. Mhm, I was in heaven.

"So, Mac, do you have to work today?" I asked him while I took a bite of toast.

"Sadly, yes but I'll try to get home as early as I can." he reassured me and took a sip of his coffee. I missed coffee so much.

"Okay but don't rush, okay? I got Cali here so just take your time and finish the case, alright?" I asked him curiously and he nodded back.

"I won't rush," Mac winked at me and looked over at Cali. "So, how was your walk last night?"

He asked her and it took her off guard.

"I…um, it was great. There were a lot of other people out. You really should've seen it." Cali said contently and Mac looked at his watch.

"I have to go. I'm sorry I have to leave you two like this and I can't help clean up…" he started to say and I stopped him.

"No, it's fine. We can manage. New York needs their hero." I told him with a wink as he held me close.

"Even if I went, they're still missing another hero; you." Mac complimented me and I blushed.

"I love you so much." I told him before we kissed.

"I love you more." Mac told me and I laughed.

"I know." I said blissfully and he kneeled down to my stomach.

"I love you too." Mac said it in a cute voice to the baby and a tear came out of my eye.

"I'll see you later. Bye." Mac said as he opened the door.

"Bye" I said sadly and he shut the door behind him.

I sighed and took 2 plates over to the sink for Cali to wash.

"Stell…" she started to say in a blank tone.

"Yeah…" I said while I dried the plates and put them away.

"I have something to tell you…" she started to say as she stared into the water.

"What's going on, Cali?" I asked in a concerned.

"I really don't know how to say this." Cali said while she looked into my eyes.

"Are you…pregnant?" I didn't want to ask it but it had to be said.

"No!" she yelled and stepped away from me. "That's disgusting. Come on over to the couch, please?" Cali asked and I nodded as she leaded the way. We sat down and she held my hand like a little girl.

"What do you have to say, Cali?" I asked and she looked up at me.

"I'm in love, Stella." she told me and I sighed. I knew this day would come.

"Really…who are you in love with, Cali?" I let a smile appear and she smiled back.

"Jeremy, the boy who thinks he was responsible for hurting me last month." Cali said with a laugh.

"Oh, I thought this whole thing was something serious. If you need to tell me something like this, don't keep me on the edge for a few minutes, alright?" I asked and winked at her. She winked back and pushed her hair back.

"Well, I was in the park and Jeremy was there. He sat down and started apologizing again. I told him it was okay and it could've been any one of us that got hurt and then he said something shocking…" Cali started to say and added. "He said he liked me a lot and I told him I felt the same way. He asked me to be his girlfriend and you know what I said…obviously, I didn't have trouble answering that question. We walked back holding hands and…he kissed me."

Cali paused and I couldn't help but smile.

"I really wasn't prepared and he kissed me AGAIN. It was so magical, Stella. It's a night I'll never forget." she said staggered.

"He seems like a nice boy. We'll have to meet him." I told her and patted her shoulder.

"Oh yeah, his parent's are cops too." she told me and I was shocked.

"I didn't know that. What's his last name?" I asked happily and she thought about it for a second.

"It's Kaufman. Do you know any Kaufman's?" she asked wonderingly.

"Yes, we do and we're actually good friends. So, I guess it works out all fine for you both." I told her and she looked nervous again.

"What about mom and dad? How will they react?" Cali asked and started biting a finger nail.

"Why don't you call them?" I gave her an option and she hesitated.

"Stell…" Cali was starting to speak but I stopped her.

"Cali there's no need to be nervous. It'd be better to tell them yourself then for me to do it for you." I told her truthfully and she nodded.

"Alright, I'll do it." Cali said happily and grabbed the phone. She jumped back onto the couch and dialed their number. Cali made a weird face then she looked forward.

"Hi. How are you?" Cali asked and smiled back.

"_I'm really good. Your father is sleeping still." _

"Man, I keep calling at all the wrong times." she said with a laugh.

"_It's fine, Cali. Is there something you had to ask me?"_

"Yeah, there is something actually. I don't know how you will react but…I…have a boyfriend." Cali said with closed, squinted eyes, hoping for the worst.

A happy scream was heard; from our mother to be exact. Cali covered her ear and shook her head.

"Ow," Cali stated and added. "Are you okay over there?"

"_Okay…I'm fabulous. I'm soo happy for you, Cali. It's about time. What's his name?"_

"His name is Jeremy, he's 16 and his parent's are cops." Cali looked back at me gratefully.

"_Oh, that's great. Did he kiss you yet?" _

"Mom!" she said in a shocked tone. "That's a private question to ask but yes, he did."

"_Aw, that's good. Well, I better tell your father. We'll try to give you a call tomorrow, okay?"_

"Yes, of course. I love you, mom." Cali said excitedly.

"_I love you too. Goodbye." _

"Bye." Cali said and hung up the phone. She set the phone on the table and gave me a big hug.

"I'm guessing she approved." I said joyfully and she nodded.

"Yes, she said it was about time. So, I think we're in a good position." Cali said gratefully and got up from the couch. At that moment, the door opened. It caught me off guard. It was Mac.

"What are you doing here, Mac?" I asked in a surprised tone and gave him a big hug.

"It looks like they didn't need me after all. It looks like I'm off again today." Mac told me thankfully and kissed me.

"Cali has something to tell you." I told Mac and Cali's mouth dropped.

"Well, I…have a boyfriend." Cali told him with a huge smile.

"Aw, that's good. With who if I might ask?" he asked curiously and Cali answered him.

"It's Jeremy. Everyone in my family knows about him now. I'm pretty sure he told his parent's by now as well." Cali said as we smiled on.

"Oh, I'm happy you found someone." Mac told her truthfully and she smiled back.

* * *

**Cali's POV: **

**I'm so happy everything turned out so well. I have a boyfriend now. It's so exciting and it makes me warm inside. I was about to head toward my room when someone knocked on the door. I peaked through the hole and it was Jeremy. My heart stopped. I opened up the door. **

"**Hey." I said and he held flowers out. Mac and Stella smiled at me. I took them while I blushed. **

"**Do you want to come in?" I asked him and he walked in. **

"**Hello." he told Mac and Stella. **

"**It's nice to officially meet you, Jeremy." Mac told him as he held his hand out for a shake. Stella embraced him in a hug. **

"**Do you know about us?" he asked nervously and Mac and Stella nodded. **

"**Yes, we all approve of you, even Cali's parents." Stella said happily and set her hands on her stomach. **

"**That's good," Jeremy started to say and grabbed my hand tightly. "My parents feel the same way."**

"**Do you want to stay?" I asked him happily, hoping for a yes. **

"**I can't…I have to go shopping with my parents. I'll call you later though." he told me and pulled me close to him. **

"**I love you." I told him honestly and rubbed his back. He kissed me slowly and smiled. **

"**I love you too. Bye." he told me and waved toward Mac and Stella. They waved back and soon he was gone. **

"**That was juicy." Stella said with a laugh. **

"**So, you both approve of him?" I asked once again. **

"**Yes, we do." Mac told me and I believed him. **

"**Well, I have to clean my room so I'll see you both later." I said as I carried the vacuum into my room. **

"**Okay," I heard both of them say. **

**All of this went so well. **


	25. Chapter 24

AN: Thanks for the reviews! :) Here's Chapter 24.

Chapter 24

It was January 9th. It was exactly 3 days until Stella's due date. Everything was pretty calm and peaceful. Stella spent most of her time relaxing in bed. Mac and Cali didn't care though. They'd do anything for Stella at all costs.

Today, Stella was going to eat in bed and Mac didn't mind it one bit.

Mac's POV:

Stella was really enjoying the food while we watched Ellen. I know she loved the show but she was barely paying attention and was zoning out for a while. I wondered what was up.

"Stell," I started to say while she still kept her eyes focused on the show. "Is something wrong?"

She shook her head and looked at me.

"Oh, I'm sorry, Mac. I was totally losing it." She laughed and smiled at me.

"Oh, I thought you were thinking about something. I mean, you didn't even laugh at one of Ellen's jokes yet. Why haven't you?" I asked in a concerned tone while she put the fork down.

"Actually, I…" Stella started to say but stopped in mid-sentence.

"Yeah…" I urged her on.

"I actually have been thinking about something. That's why I haven't been laughing or saying much." Stella told me truthfully and took a sip of iced tea.

"You can tell me anything, Stella." I told her and she knew she could tell me anything.

I could tell it was something important. Some days she tells me what she's thinking and at times, she lets it inside to eat her alive.

"It's about what happened with Johnny…" Stella told me with a frown while she leaned back against a pillow.

"Stell, he's gone now you don't…" I started to explain but she didn't let me finish.

"No, I didn't mean that. I mean, what I did with him." Stella said with a guilty look and I knew what she meant now.

"Oh…" is all I could say. She sighed and stared blankly at the TV for a moment.

"I hope you understand my decision and that if I hurt you I am really sorry…" she started to get emotional. I reached my arm out to her but she held up her hand. "Wait, I love you so much and I never want to lose you. I seen how mad you got when I told you about it."

She looked around the room and looked into my eyes this time.

"None of it meant ANYTHING to me. I hope you understand that. My family was at risk and I had to save them. I'm sure you would've done the same thing or something like that. It was all an act. I faked the whole thing."

I took a deep breath.

"I got to admit, I was upset at first when you told me. I mean, who wouldn't be upset. I do understand the situation you were in." I explained to her while she looked on. "You must've been so scared to be there all on your own. I respect what you did. I probably would've done the same thing. Please, don't worry about it anymore."

I winked at her and she gave me a huge hug.

"Oh, I love you, Mac." Stella told me with a beautiful smile.

"I love you too, Stella." I told her happily. She groaned and I looked at her with a worried expression.

"What's wrong?" I asked and watched her every movement.

"It's time, Mac." she told me and I stopped breathing.

"Oh, wow. Well, let's go." I told her calmly while she grabbed her bag from out of the corner.

I grabbed her around the waist and threw her bag over my shoulder. Stella looked at me nervously as I helped her down the hallway.

"We're fine, okay?" I reassured her and she nodded happily.

"I know. I just can't believe it's time for our child to arrive." She stated with a big smile.

"I can't believe it either. We better tell, Cali." I told her and pounded on her door.

Cali opened the door in shock. She saw Stella and knew it was that moment.

"I had a feeling it was going to be today. I'm ready." Cali said as slipped on her shoes and followed us.

Stella's POV:

I was nervous but so happy at the same time. We took the elevator down and went towards our car. Mac held the door open for me while he handed the bag to Cali in the back seat. I buckled my seat belt and we were off to the hospital.

We got into the hospital and we went up to the front desk.

"My sister's going into labor!" Cali yelled and caught the girl off guard.

"Who's your doctor?" the woman asked me while a man got me a chair.

"Dr. Meyers." I stated happily and Mac helped me sit down.

"Okay, take her to room 18, please." the woman said with a smile to a guy behind me. Mac and Cali were starting to follow but the man stopped him.

"I'm sorry but you guys can't come in yet. We have to prepare everything first." He said with a half smile while Mac and Cali frowned. "You guys can wait outside the room. It's just down the hall." He pointed to his left.

"I think we have to call some friends first but we'll be down." Mac told him and I looked over at him.

"Come here" I told Mac and Cali and they stood in front of me. "I'll be waiting for you both." I added with a wink. Cali gave me a soft, bear hug and we kissed on the cheek. Mac held my hands for a moment and kissed me gently on the lips.

"I love you." He told me as I was pushed to my room.

"I love you too." I told him as I waved goodbye.

Cali's POV:

"So, who are we callin'?" I asked with a huge grin.

"For starters, call your parents. They should be the first to know." Mac told me and we both took out our cell phones.

"There's no need to do that." We heard a voice behind us and we turned to see who it was.

"Dad…" I said in a confused tone and ran up to him and gave him a hug. I saw my mom and gave her a hug as well. "How'd you know Stella went into labor?"

He shot a smile towards Mac.

"We saw your Facebook post from early this morning." Ava added and laughed.

I knew what post I meant.

''I have a feeling that my sister's going to have the baby today.'' I said the line out loud and they both nodded. "Well, how were you sure I was right? I could've been wrong."

"Well, we trust your instincts, Cali." Zeth told me happily.

"That's good that you do. Well, I was right today!" I told them with a huge grin. Mac laughed and gave both my mom and dad a hug.

"I texted basically all of our friends from the lab so they'll be here shortly." he added gratefully and sat down.

"I really should call Mel." I said excitedly and dialed her number.

"Cali! What are you doing?"

"I'm in the hospital." I told her truthfully.

"What happened, Cali?"

"Stella's going into labor and I want you to come down. I need some company." I added with a laugh and smiled back at my parents.

"Okay, I'll be there in a few minutes. I promise. Bye!"

"Bye." I said with a smile and closed the phone.

"It looks like the gang's all going to be here soon." Mac told us all with a smile as we started walking toward the room.

"Yes, now all we have to do is to sit and wait." I said as I stuck out my tongue.

We heard someone running behind us.

"Hey." We heard Lindsay's voice call after us and we turned to see her jogging way ahead of Danny.

"We're glad that you're here, Lindsay. Did you see anyone else from the lab?" Mac asked thankfully while Danny caught up.

"Actually, everyone is here." Danny said happily and pointed behind him.

Flack, Hawkes, Adam, Kendall and Sid and Mel were running toward us.

"Yay, the gang's all here!" I exclaimed as we all walked toward Stella's hospital room.


	26. Chapter 25

**AN: **Well, this is the last chapter of my story. I'm sad that I have to end it but I really couldn't think of anymore for it. I hope you all enjoyed it. Thank you for all that read and reviewed. You guys are so awesome. :`)

**A Happy Ending**

**Stella's POV: **

I was sitting in the hospital room calmly while I waited for everyone. I dealt with small contractions already but it wasn't serious yet; I guess that's good I guess. I was impatient to see my family and friends. I could hear them talking outside my room. It was time to get some answers.

"Excuse me," I asked the nurse watching my heart rate. "When can my family come in?"

She smiled genially and I smiled back.

"We just want to make sure everything is fine and then you can see someone." she told me truthfully and I nodded gratefully.

I rested my eyes and I dozed off. I was woken up by a tap on the shoulder.

"Would you like to see someone now?" the same nurse asked me with a wide smile. I nodded my head quickly as she turned to go to the door. Mac walked in and the room brightened up.

"Mac!" I yelled thankfully as he ran toward me. He hugged me and kissed me a few times. "It's torturous in here. It was so lonely."

He laughed and smiled exultantly.

"Well, I'm going to be here for the rest of the way, I promise." Mac said as he set his hand on my stomach gently. I then put my hand on top of his.

"I'm glad to hear that." I said excitedly and gazed at the door. "Who's out there?" I asked curiously with raised eyebrows.

"Well, your parents, all of our friends and Mel are out there. They're all waiting to come in.", Mac told me with a cute smile. "So, I think I should step out for a bit."

He told me and I frowned.

"Don't worry though," Mac started to say with a wink. "I'll be back before you know it."

"Okay," I gave in and gazed toward the door. "Let someone else come in."

Mac kissed me once again and walked out. Soon, Cali and Mel walked in with big smiles.

"Stella, you look great." Mel told me and I was flattered.

"Oh, thanks." I said sarcastically and wiped a bead of sweat from my head.

"How are you, feeling?" Cali asked as she embraced me with a warm hug.

"Fine," I answered happily. "What about you? You look nervous too."

"Nah, I'm just worried about my sister." Cali answered with a wink and laughed.

"Don't worry about me. We'll both be fine." I answered in a sure tone.

"That's all we needed to hear." Mel said with a grin. They both gave me a hug again before they walked out. Who could be next? I swallowed a sip of water that was in the cup by my bed. I watched the door to see who would come in next.

"If you're having any more visitors, you have to come in all at once. We're starting soon." another nurse told my waiting friends and parents. Danny, Lindsay, Flack, Hawkes, Adam, Kendall, Sid and my parents came in and smiled.

I was welcomed with many hugs. I really don't think I've had that many hugs in years; well, not by many different people I haven't.

"Is everything going okay?" Lindsay asked in a fretful tone.

"Yes, everything's fine. This isn't the hard part." I managed to say while I fought another contraction.

"We can't wait to see our grandchild." Ava told me while my dad's arms were wrapped around her. I nodded and rested my hands on my stomach again.

"I wonder if the baby is going to be stubborn like Mac." Danny joked and Mac heard him.

"I heard that!" Mac yelled back with a smile and peaked in the doorway.

"Or maybe even that pretty little face of Stella's." Kendall grinned and winked at me.

"You never know." I stated and thought about our little girl and who she may become.

"I'd have to teach her the basics of computers. That's a given for me." Adam said in an animated tone and grabbed Kendall by the waist.

"That's obvious." Flack said under his breath and laughed. Adam mocked his laugh. What was my room turning into?

"What do you plan on teaching her, huh?" Adam wanted to know. Flack walked over to him and stared right into his face.

"You." he said with a very wide smile as Adam punched him playfully.

"Hey, no rough-housing." my dad told them and they calmed down. It was all a joke though.

"I'll teach her something. I'm not really sure yet." Hawkes said with a weird look on his face. We all laughed.

"I'm going to tell her all of my stories. Like the one where…" Sid started to say but I knew we didn't want to hear it.

"Sid…" I told him and he stopped with a light smile. "I loved all of your suggestions. I really can't wait to see what she's like."

"I agree with that one." Mac said as he gazed in the room with loving eyes and kept his eyes on me.

"That's been enough time. It's about time for Stella to start now." Dr. Meyers nodded at Mac and smiled at all of the guests.

"Bye. Good luck." everyone told me and I smiled widely. I was starting to get nervous now.

Mac came in and closed the door behind him.

He stood next to me and grabbed my hand.

"Are you ready, my love?" Mac asked as he planted a kiss lightly on my lips.

"I'm ready but I'm nervous." I told him with a sigh and stared at the ceiling.

"It will all be fine, I promise, Stell." Mac told me and I believed him. I squeezed his hand tighter and soon Dr. Meyers was talking to me.

"Are you ready, Stella?" she asked me with a smile while 3 other nurses stood by her.

"Uh huh," I said and giggled a bit.

"Okay, well, let's get this started." the doctor said happily and I prayed that everything would go smoothly.

* * *

It was about 5 hours later and everything was getting harder but I didn't think I had much longer.

"Okay, Stella, count to 10 and that should do it." Dr. Meyers encouraged me while I breathed heavily. Mac stared into my eyes with a worried look.

"You can do this, Stell. Count with me." Mac urged me and I nodded willingly. I HAD to do this.

I counted in my head while Mac counted aloud. I screamed in pain as I started to push again.

"1...2...3...4..." Mac started to count and I concentrated on my counting and nothing else.

"I can see her head, Stella! Come on, you got this!" Dr. Meyers yelled to me and it made me stronger.

* * *

I counted to myself. I heard a baby cry and I knew I did it. Mac hugged me tightly and kissed me while I cried.

"I love you, Mac." I said while I sobbed.

"I love you too. It's alright now. Look." Mac told me and pointed to our baby girl.

I smiled thankfully. We were both so happy that she was alright.

"Congratulations." Dr. Meyers told me as she set our girl gently in my arms.

"Thank you!" I told her gratefully and she nodded.

"You're welcome." she added with a wink.

She was so beautiful.

"She's so beautiful, Mac." I was amazed; we both were.

"What a beautiful angel!" Mac exclaimed and kissed both me and her on the forehead.

"Do you have a name?" a nurse asked with a clipboard.

"Her name is Mariana Taylor." I stated in joy. The nurse nodded and wrote the name down.

"Hello Mariana" Mac started to say as we both stared down at her. "This is your daddy."

"And this is your mommy. We're so happy that you're here now." I told her and ran my finger over her cheek.

Slowly, her eyes opened and she stared up at us. A tiny smile grew upon her face and she closed her eyes once again.

Soon, everyone walked in. Everyone awed and came up close to us.

"I told you she'd have your face, Stella." Kendall whispered and I laughed lightly.

"She has my eyes." Mac said happily and rubbed my hand.

"What's her name?" Sid asked curiously as everyone listened.

"Mariana Taylor." Mac said proudly and everyone smiled.

"It's perfect." my mother told us and held out her arms to hold her. I handed Mariana to her carefully. I tear fell from her cheek. "She's so small."

For the next half hour, everyone said comments about Mariana and how adorable she was. Our life would be so perfect now.

* * *

**Mac's POV: **

**I got up and noticed Stella wasn't by my side. I yawned and headed for Mariana's room. I could see Stella watching Mariana sleep. **

"**Stell…" I said her name and she let out a small gasp. She tiptoed over to me. **

"**I just wanted to check on her, that's all." Stella told me as she hugged me outside her room. **

"**Oh, okay. Well, you should get your sleep. If she cries, I'll get her." I told her and she nodded. **

"**Yeah, I guess I do.", Stella said with a big smile "Our life is so perfect right now. I don't think it could be better." **

**The moonlight shined onto our faces while we stood by the window. **

"**I agree with you. I told you everything would be fine." I told her honestly and she cuddled into my chest. **

"**I believed you. I really did." Stella told me as she yawned lightly. **

"**I'm really glad to have you as my wife and that I get to spend the rest of my life with you and my child." I said gratefully and she let out a tear. **

"**I guess my wish can true." Stella said that and it caught me off guard. **

"**What was your wish?" I asked interestedly and pulled her closer. **

"**It was to be able to live with Mac Taylor forever and do everything with him." she told me with a giggle. **

"**Well, I guess it DID come true." I said as we walked back into our room now. **

"**I love you, Mac." Stella told me as she looked into my eyes. **

"**I love you too, Stella." I said as I pushed a curl out of her face. I kissed her happily. We fell asleep wrapped in each others arms. **

**Now I know, fairy tales CAN come true. **


End file.
